Cosmic Dissonance
by blue-eyed-shuichi
Summary: Ferry girls have gone missing. After Botan's abduction, the spirit detectives are called in to investigate. But not everything is as it seems. What they find will test each man's skill and for one detective, events will lead to the realization that trauma cannot easily be overcome with rescue and kind words. Multiple chapter story featuring a Kurama/Botan pairing.
1. Abduction

**Disclaimer: **I own no part or parcel of Yu Yu Hakusho. This is strictly for fun. As with all my other YYH stories, it will feature a Kurama/Botan pairing though other characters will be present as well.

**Cosmic Dissonance**

**Chapter 1- Abduction**

Kurama sat at his desk, opening the sketch pad before him, humming softly as he reached out to grab a pencil. Emotion flickered in the kitsune's emerald orbs as he studied the nearly finished etching, cool reserve giving way to a gentle smile as a precious memory filled his thoughts and he continued where he left off, adding more detail until a quick knock on the door pulled his attention away.

Tenderly he closed the pad, a mask of calm indifference back in place as he turned and spoke. "Come in."

The door opened and a tall young man peered inside, his inquisitive eyes of blue focusing to the left where Kurama sat, voice soft but hopeful as he spoke. "Hey, Shuichi, can I talk to you for a moment?"

The red head flashed a polite smile at his step-brother, nodding as he motioned the younger boy to enter. "What can I help you with, Suichi?"

The chestnut haired boy closed the door behind him as he stepped inside, pacing a bit as if to build up courage before he stopped and faced the kitsune. "What I wanted.. that is.. what I would like to know is.. about girls.." He stammered and stopped, brow furrowed in frustration at his inability to voice his questions more clearly.

Kurama tilted his head, studying his brother, curious at the question. "What would you like to know about them specifically?"

"Um.. I.. I want to know how to get girls to like me.. I mean what do girls like?"

Kurama gave him a patient smile. "That is a rather complex answer. Perhaps if you could tell me some background on the girl you are interested in.."

"What makes you think I.. I had any particular girl in mind?" Suichi interjected, the blush upon his cheeks belying the defensive reaction.

The older boy gave a soft chuckle and held up a hand in a placating gesture. "Alright.. well, speaking in generalities, most girls like boys that have a good sense of humor. Of course it doesn't hurt to smile and be polite. Show interest in what they say, even if it bores you. If there is something they like to do, try it once, if only to please her."

"But what about appearance. Girls like guys that are good looking and have a lot of money right?"

Kurama tilted his head. "There are certainly girls that place more emphasis on the physical and monetary aspects of whom they.. chase after. I would suggest you avoid such girls if you want to remain happy, Suichi." He paused, a ghost of a smile on his lips as he asked, "So which girl is it that you are interested in?"

The younger boy blushed, shuffling his feet as admitted his crush. "Reiko Ishiguro.."

"Ah.. She is in your class, right?"

Suichi nodded. "She so smart and so pretty.. you should see her Shuichi.. And she's really good at singing! She makes my insides feel.. all.." He paused, frustration marring his handsome features at the inability to describe how he felt.

"Fluttery?" Kurama suggested, suppressing another chuckle at his brother's emphatic nod.

"Yes! Just like that! You know how that feels don't you, Shuichi? To like a girl so much you feel like your heart will burst if can't be with her?"

A flicker of emotion passed across the red head's features then died, no more than a blink of the eye as he remained silent, allowing his brother to continue.

"She's definitely my type, too. Really long legs and long hair and a killer smile." Suichi's gazed off fondly as the image of his crush danced in his head.

"Sounds like you are smitten. Why don't you ask her out on a date?"

"A date?" Suichi squeaked, "But.. But what if she says no? What is she says yes? Man.. what do I do then?"

"You'll figure it out, Suichi. Just remember that if she says no, don't give up. Girls do like to be chased, no matter what they say otherwise."

The younger boy nodded, starting to go before he turned and asked. "What about you, Shuichi? What kind of girl is your type?"

Kurama quirked an eyebrow. "Me?"

"Yeah, what kind of girl draws your interest?"

An teasing image sprang instantly into his thoughts, playful eyes studying him teasingly, a soft laughter and warm smile that broke through the many walls he put up to hide his true emotions and made him want to feel and to love. Even if he would not admit to it openly. "Well.. I like girls that are tall and pretty.. who are kind and who have a good sense of humor.. who are not afraid to speak their mind.. "

"You mean like that girl you were talking to last week?" Suichi asked, interrupting his older brother's rather lovely thoughts. "The really pretty blue-haired one?"

"Hmm.. perhaps.." Kurama replied with a crafty smile but did not elaborate.

"Suichi, dear! Your friends are here!"

The younger boy turned his head at the sound of his step-mother's voice, beaming. "I'll be right there!" He called back before focusing his attention back to Kurama. "Thanks for taking the time to talk to me, Shuichi."

Kurama nodded, smiling. "You're quite welcome, Suichi." He replied, watching his brother head out and down the stairs, leaving the kitsune alone once more. Swiveling the chair back around, Kurama reached out, opening the sketch pad , eyes softening at the image of a smiling Botan brought to life by his own hand. Grabbing the nearby pencil, the kitsune fleshed out the picture, replaying the memory in his mind as he wondered when he would see the ferry girl again.

XXXXXXXXX

"Be careful, Botan."

Koenma's words rang throughout the deity's mind as she entered the human world for what would hopefully be a routine pick- up. And yet.. and yet she had trouble steadying her hands, her oar bobbling as she lost focus of the linear path she had wanted to follow. Gritting her teeth, Botan righted her course, Amethyst eyes focusing on the city below. Pale moonlight reflected off the massive glass windows of a nearby skyscraper, casting an eerie glow as she began to descend then land on the busy street below.

A rush of wind swirled around the ferry girl, tugging at her kimono and she clutched her oar tighter, her steps hesitant as she trembled. It was not the cool air that made her shiver but something more primal, more dark. Fear. She was afraid. Like all prey, she had to be prepared for flight or fight. And like all prey, the scent of fear washed over her like a tidal wave, racing to all corners of the city for anyone who might be out… hunting. It was times like these when the spirit guide wished Koenma had given her permission to talk to the Spirit Detectives and inform them about the strange disappearances of the others. But her boss was stubborn and until the situation grew desperate, he would refrain from using Yusuke's services. _Or maybe he's just too cheap_. Botan grumbled, annoyed at Koenma's frugal habits when it came to paying out for services rendered.

The deity started forward again, weaving through the crowded sidewalk as she neared her target destination. Glancing up at Senpuku Towers, a well-lit and well to do apartment complex in the heart of downtown, Botan entered, unseen by the mortals around her. Once upon the stairwell, she hopped onto her oar, gliding upwards until she reached the 12 floor. Sliding off her oar, Botan entered the hallway, eyes trained on the numbers, stopping before the address marked on her notes.

Looking down she studied the picture of her target, a dark-haired, average looking adult male who appeared to be in prime physical condition. "Jiro Takai. Age 33. Fitness Instructor. Death due to choking on a sweet roll. Oh the irony.." She murmured, shaking her head as she entered the apartment. According to the time listed, his death would have occurred within the last half hour.

Heading into the living room, the deity spotted the back of Takai's head, resting against the lazy boy. The tv was on, a glass turned on it's side on the table beside the chair, water pooling below the edge. Botan stopped, assessing the surroundings, frowning at the lack of the fitness instructor's soul. There was no sensation, no pull. It was as if Takai's soul had gone and….

"Vanished?" A male voice whispered in the deity's ear, causing her to jump. Gripping her oar, she whirled around, finding nothing and no one near her. Senses on alert, the ferry girl called out with more strength then she felt. "Who's there?! Show yourself?!" A flash of movement caught her eye and she swung back around, eyes widening as the body rose and turned, recognition flashing across her features as she spat out.. "You!"

Fear gave way to anger as Botan made to lunge forward, oar at the ready only to feel a strong arm wrap around her waist and something sharp puncture her shoulder. Her vision dimmed, consciousness fading to black until all became silent and she felt no more.

XXXXXXX

"Beep, beep, beep! Beep, beep, beep!"

The insistent noise drew Kurama out of his sleep and he reached out, snatching the offending device, flipping it open, revealing the agitated features of Yusuke. "Hey fox boy, wake up, I need your help!"

Kurama sighed, tossing the covers aside, clad only in a pair of pajama pants as he sat up, noting the time as he spoke. "Good morning to you too, Yusuke." Rubbing his eyes he asked. "What is so urgent that you have to call me at 2 am?"

"Botan's been kidnapped!"

A flash of shock passed over the red head's features, worry in his voice though he tried to keep it level. "How did you come by that information?" He asked as he rose and headed over to the closet, opening it to retrieve his clothing.

"Koenma called me a few minutes ago and with the news, I'll tell you more about it when you get here. Just hurry up. I want to get the jump on this before anything bad happens to her."

"Agreed. I'm on my way." Snapping the communicator closed, Kurama yanked his pajama pants off, slipping on a pair of light blue jeans and a black button down shirt. Opening the window to his room, he jumped, climbing down the roof. Using his speed and power, the kitsune took off like a bullet, heading for Yusuke's ramen shop across town, worry filling his heart though he kept it under control. After all, he cared for Botan. Cared for her very much and the thought of the ferry girl injured or worse brought out his protective and possessive nature . Driven with need to get to the bottom of the situation, Kurama ran faster, skidding to a stop upon reaching his destination. Letting himself inside, the kitsune made his way to the counter, eyes on the Yusuke as he asked, "So what is the status of the situation, Yusuke?"

The dark haired spirit detective crossed his arms, features a mask of irritation. "Other than the news flash of Botan's abduction, toddler boy hasn't told me squat. He wants us to wait until everybody is here."

"I don't see why we should." Kuwabara said. "We all know Hiei gives two flips about what goes on in the human world." The tall man crossed his arms as well, grumbling suspiciously, "Probably helped the kidnappers just to make us get up so dang early…"

"You really are an idiot." Hiei's cool voice interjected, making the orange haired human jump and whirl around accusingly.

"Why do you always sneak up on me, Shrimp?!"

Hiei smirked. "Because it amuses me."

Kuwabara narrowed his eyes. "You get creepier every time we meet."

"And you get dumber." Hiei retorted, ignoring the taller man's protests, gaze shifting to focus on Yusuke. "So tell me, Yusuke, how did the bubblehead get kidnapped?"

Kurama frowned a bit at his best friend's description of Botan but said nothing, deferring to Yusuke who spoke.

"Yeah, about that.." Flipping the spirit detective case open, Yusuke patched in the frequency for spirit world, the screen coming to life, revealing the face of Koenma in toddler form.

"Is everyone there, Yusuke?" Koenma asked, chewing on his pacifier in idle nervousness.

The dark haired spirit detective eyed his boss with an annoyance that was reflected in his voice. "Yeah, we're here so spill it, Koenma. How in the hell did Botan get kidnapped?"

Koenma took a moment to compose himself before answering. "In order for me to explain that, you must first understand the events leading up to Botan's abduction." The child lord tapped his fingertips on the desk, studying the expectant look on the detectives faces then drew in a breath, nearly losing his pacifier as he continued. "In the past month, there have been.. incidents involving ferry girls."

"Incidents?" Yusuke interrupted, voicing the thoughts of the group. "Like what?"

Koenma flashed a look of annoyance at his head detective, growling. "If you would stop interrupting me, I would tell you."

"Well, stop with the suspense already and tell us what the hell is going on!" Yusuke snapped.

"I'm getting to it!" Koenma snapped back, clenching his jaw as he continued, "As I was saying, there have been three separate incidents before Botan's abduction involving ferry girls. On each occasion, they failed to report back after an assignment in Ningenkai. We sent out search parties but.. " The toddler's voice trailed off, a look of pain on his features as he lowered his gaze, barely audible as he added. "No trace of them could be found."

The detectives studied each other with varying looks of concern or shock.

"And now Botan is the fourth to go missing." Kurama's stated softly, though there was a harshness in his eyes that belied his calm features. "Given the serious nature of these incidents, what reason could you of had to delay our involvement?"

"I was trying to solve it on my own for once." Koenma replied guiltily, lifting his gaze to the group. "After the third disappearance, I sent Botan down with an audio/visual monitor in the hopes of capturing footage of whoever or whatever is behind this." Pausing, the toddler lord reached out, pressing a button, his image replaced by scenes of the Tokyo skyline flying by to walking among a crowd to a towering building. Pausing the video, Koenma spoke. "So far, nothing out of the ordinary. But once Botan went inside…" Playing the video again, the feed suddenly became grainy though the audio was still intact.

The sound of Botan's voice got the group's attention and they listened intently, hoping to glean some clues that would help them. "Jiro Takai. Age 33. Fitness Instructor. Death due to choking on a sweet roll. Oh the irony.."

"Vanished?" The sudden sound of a male voice made the team's heads snap up and they looked at each other in concern and irritation.

"Who the hell is that?" Kuwabara murmured.

Yusuke and Hiei shook their heads, silently wondering the same thing.

Kurama kept his features downcast to hide the surprise and anger that he felt. The sound of Botan's fear then recognition made him clench his hands into fists, nails digging into his palms as the audio cut off and feed went completely dead.

"And that is all that was recorded of the event." Koenma said, his image replacing the blank screen.

"Tell me, Koenma," Kurama began, raising his head, features and tone business-like. "Prior to these abductions, were there any other strange incidences? Did any of the ferry girls show signs of agitation or nervousness? Or perhaps giddiness and anticipation of some sort?"

"What does that have to do with anything, Kurama?" Kuwabara asked, looking from the screen to the redhead.

"Quiet, fool." Hiei growled at the taller man. "Kurama knows what he's doing."

"Don't have to get so testy, Hiei." Kuwabara grumbled but shut up, waiting for Kurama to continue.

Koenma closed his eyes but said nothing, drawing the ire of Yusuke.

"Come on toddler breath, answer Kurama's questions! Was there any crazy or odd shit that happened prior to these disappearances?!"

"You know, Yusuke," Koenma began, opening his eyes, throwing a cold stare the dark haired detective's way. "Sometimes I wish I'd made Kurama head detective instead of you. Then I wouldn't have to deal with your serious lack of manners."

"I'll show you manners.." Yusuke growled then blinked when he felt Kurama's hand on his arm.

"We don't have time for this, Yusuke." The kitsune said calmly, though his features were hardened as he focused his gaze on the toddler lord. "The longer you delay our search, the more dire the situation becomes. So tell us, Koenma, did anything happen prior to the abductions?"

Sighing, the toddler lord answered. "It is not unusual for ferry girls to.. admire the men they bring to spirit world.. It is also.. not unusual for these same ferry girls to.. fall for men.. not yet destined for Reikai."

"I thought as much." Kurama murmured, ignoring the questions from his fellow detectives as he pressed on. "Did Botan come to you with her concerns?"

"Understand, Kurama, that I'm a very busy lord. I don't have time for idle gossip." Koenma started. "But yes, Botan did inform me that several of the girls, including the ones that went missing, had fallen for men in Ningenkai."

"Did you check up on these supposed Romeos?" The kitsune asked, hiding a smirk at the irritation of his boss.

"Of course I did! I'm not totally incompetent!" Koenma snapped. "The men supposedly involved with my employees were nowhere to be found."

"Interesting." Kurama murmured. "I think we've delayed long enough, don't you, Koenma?"

The toddler lord nodded, disappearing as map popped up on screen, a blinking green dot marking the location of Botan's last known whereabouts. The detectives synced their communicators with the map, closing them as Koenma's face appeared once more. "Use extreme caution and report back to me as soon as you have some information. Koenma out."

The screen went black and Yusuke sighed, closing the detective kit, his brown eyes focused on the redhead. "What was that all about, Kurama?"

"I'll tell you about it later, Yusuke. Right now we need to get to the apartment complex before the trail goes cold."

Hiei and Kuwabara nodded, waiting for Yusuke who spoke. "Right. Let's go!"

The four men headed out into the night, racing towards the target area, each wondering what they would find when they got there.

_Do not worry, Botan_. Kurama thought as he kept pace with the others. _I'll find you. I promise._

Okay. First chapter completed. This will be a multi-chaptered story but the length will depend on the interest. Which means reviews are most helpful in motivating me. So if you liked it, want more of it, drop a few lines and let me know.


	2. The Game Is Afoot

Here is chapter two for Cosmic Dissonance. Same disclaimers apply.

Chapter 2-The Game is Afoot

The spirit detectives arrived at the place designated on their communicators, studying the massive building before them.

"Strange place.." Yusuke murmured, looking around. "Not many lights on."

Hiei studied the building silently as Kuwabara blinked then squinted at the dimly lit sign near the entrance. "Sen.. puku tower.." The orange haired human sounded out, features troubled. "Doesn't that mean.." His voice trailed off as Kurama spoke.

"Ambush…. yes, it does.."

"Hmm.. that's appropriate.." Yusuke replied, looking at his companions. "Are we going inside or what?"

The others nodded, following Yusuke inside. The head detective's body snapped to attention, brown eyes traveling over to Kurama who stood to his left. "You getting the same vibe I am from this place?"

"Yes." The kitsune replied. " I'm surprised Botan didn't as well when she entered."

"What are you two talking about?" Kuwabara asked, looking around. "I'm not sensing anything."

"Exactly.." Yusuke said, gaze straight ahead as he smirked. "Nobody is in this building." His gaze shifted to the left. "So boys? Elevators or stairs?"

"Stairs." They replied in unison. The group moved cautiously upward, finally reaching the 12th floor. Yusuke pushed on the bar handle, the door swinging inward, revealing an empty corridor. Lights flickered above their heads as they made their way down the hall.

"Man, it sure is creepy around here." Kuwabara murmured.

"What are you scared of, Kuwabara?" Yusuke replied, turning around, lifting his hands as he made a goofy imitation of a monster. "Afraid the boogieman is going to get you?"

"Knock it off, Urameshi.." The taller boy growled. "I know you sense it, too."

Yusuke lowered his hands, features turning serious once more. "Yeah. This whole building is messed up."

"Looks like we're here." Hiei commented, his red eyes looking up at Kurama as they stopped in front of the apartment number listed on their communicator.

The door was ajar and the four of them looked at one another in silent agreement. Yusuke pushed the door open slowly, a creaking noise reverberating throughout the hall. Peering into the darkness, he was about to enter when Kuwabara said loudly,

"Do worry guys, I've got this!" Hand held up, the orange haired teen fed power down his arm, his spirit sword erupting, lighting the darkness. Grinning, he strode forward, falling over when Yusuke flipped on the switch near the door, light flickering on, illuminating the apartment.

"What the hell, Urameshi?!" Kuwabara growled, jumping to his feet, indignant.

Yusuke smirked. "It's not my fault you're a dumbass." He said, then added. "Besides, you should have checked the light switch first before charging in like the swat team."

"Tch.." Kuwabara snorted then stalked off, crossing his arms, grumbling. "Always trying to be Mr. super cool.. jerk face.. Could have done that too, if I wanted.."

"Feel that, Kurama?" Hiei asked as he walked further in, studying the layout and the covered furniture.

"Yes." Kurama replied, nodding as he peered around the corner into the living room. "Traces of demon energy. Whoever took Botan was one of our kind." Stopping by the tv, he reached out, lifting the covering, touching the back, brow furrowed at the trace of warmth. Looking down, his gaze traveled along the carpeted floor towards the end table by a lounge chair. Walking around, his ears picked up the sound of something peculiar and he crouched down, reaching out, pressing on the carpet. Lifting his hand up, he rubbed his fingers together, noting a wet substance and he rose at Yusuke's call, heading back out into the kitchen area.

"What is it, Yusuke?" The kitsune asked.

"Take a look at this." The head detective opened the fridge, revealing a stocked supply of food inside. "Whoever this is, they forgot to take their food with them."

"Curious.." Kurama murmured.

"That isn't the only thing that's weird about this place." Kuwabara's voice called out as he entered the kitchen. In his hand was a picture frame of a rather attractive blond female. "Found this in the bedroom." He replied to their questioning glances before adding. "Unless my eyes are failing, this certainly isn't the Jiro character Botan was supposed to pick up."

"What the hell kind of place is this?" Yusuke asked, shaking his head. "Nobody lives in this building, yet there's food stockpiled in the fridge, and a picture of some chick that probably lives here. Can you explain it, fox boy? Cause right now, I'm drawing a fricking blank."

"In a moment, Yusuke." The kitsune replied, turning towards his best friend as he asked. "Try the Jagan, will you Hiei?"

The fire demon nodded, removing his headband, the Jagan eye flaring to life. Hiei grit his teeth, pushing his powers to try to see what could not be seen only to make a sound of disgust, the eye closing as he wrapped the band around his forehead once more.

"What did you see, Hiei?" Kurama asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Nothing." The Koorime replied, features irritated. "Whoever snatched the ferry girl, they were well prepared for us."

"Okay, spill it, Sherlock." Yusuke grumbled, his brown orbs focused on Kurama. "What the hell is going on around here?"

The red head smiled inwardly at the Sherlock comment, features thoughtful as he spoke. "Before I get to that, Yusuke, I want you to think back to the video Koenma showed up and the audio feed that continued when the video went out."

"Okay.." Yusuke replied. "What about it?"

Kurama gave a patient smile to his friend. "When Botan was on the outside of this building it was well lit but when we arrived it was not. When the video feed went out and the audio remained, I heard background noises, faint, though they were there."

"Really? I didn't hear anything but Botan and some strange guy's voice." Kuwabara interjected.

"Figures, you're dumb and deaf." Hiei said, smirking at the scowl the taller man threw his way.

"Stuff it, hamster legs!"

"Children, could you please shut up for a moment.." Yusuke chided mildly, making a motion for Kurama to continue. "Go on."

"The sounds I heard were of a tv broadcast and of something dripping, albeit very slowly."

Yusuke quirked an eybrow. "You could hear all that? You must have super hearing."

"Well, I am a kitsune after all.." Kurama stated then continued. "I also heard another person in the room, hidden in shadow, ready to pounce on Botan at a moment's notice."

"How the hell did you get that out of some audio feed?" Yusuke asked, puzzled and awed at his friend's auditory abilities.

"That's not important, Yusuke. What is important is what I believe happened here." Kurama looked around, making sure he had everyone's attention before continuing, "Someone, of demon origin set up this whole charade for the explicit purpose of capturing Botan. Someone with the ability to alter the landscape of their chosen area, either by physical or illusion powers. Someone with the ability to block any psychic attempts to see what transpired and by electrical fields to block the video feed. They knew she would come here. They knew she was filming it. They knew she was susceptible to visual cues."

"So you're saying someone set this up from the very beginning, right down to the file Botan was carrying in her hand." Yusuke said, brow furrowed. "Why would anyone do that? And how? She got her information from Reikai itself."

"I can think of several possibilities for how.. but as too why.." Kurama's voice trailed off, thoughts traveling along an unpleasant tangent and his features turned troubled. "I cannot say as of yet."

"Okay.. so how did they do it?"

"Remember when I asked Koenma about whether the ferry girls that were abducted has become infatuated with any men?"

Yusuke nodded but waited for the kitsune to continue.

"Well, the person or persons who are behind these kidnappings gained their confidence, seducing them into revealing certain information that was vital to their mission. To abduct them, you have to know where they're going. I find it highly likely they manipulated these girls into doing favors for them, even so much as feeding false information for the next girl who in turn.. was abducted."

"But that doesn't explain Botan's situation. She wasn't one of the girls being manipulated."

A flash of emotion flickered in the kitsune's eyes as he spoke softly. "Do you remember her words before the feed went dead?"

A look of realization crossed the head detective's features. "She knew her kidnapper."

"Yes.. exactly." Kurama replied. "However, I do not think she was seduced. When Koenma said Botan had come to him with concerns, I believe she had some idea as to who her co-workers were.. involved with. She knew what he looked like.. though.. if he could manipulate energy fields and the physical landscape, he could also change his features so as to be unrecognizable."

"Yet she knew him." Kuwabara said, joining in the conversation. "If he could do all that, why show his true form to Botan at all?"

"You do have a brain." Hiei quipped, smirking as he ignored the larger man's insults. "He has a point, though, Kurama. Why show his true form to the ferry girl?"

"Why indeed?" Kurama replied, features businesslike though inside he was growing more concerned for the deity. "Whatever his intentions, until we find Botan and the other girls, I'm afraid that will remain unknown."

"So you think they're still alive?" Hiei asked.

Kurama nodded. "I do. Why go through all this trouble just to kill them. No, he wants to use them for something. I just don't know what that reason is, yet." He waved his hand around the apartment, adding softly. "This was also to our benefit as well. They knew we'd come here. They purposefully gave us false clues in the hope we'd fall for it. The food in the fridge, the warm tv, the spilt water that soaked into the carpet. Leaving their energy signature at a high enough level to trace it. Someone is playing a game with us. They think we'll just follow along the obvious trail, ignoring the true path. It's rather insulting, actually."

"So what you're saying is someone is dicking around with us?" Yusuke replied.

The kitsune blinked in mild surprise at his friend's crude term but nodded. "Er.. not quite how I would put it, but yes.. we are being manipulated even as we speak."

"Alright then, what's our next move?" Yusuke asked.

"Gee, you're the head detective and you can't even tell us where to go next?" Kuwabara said in exasperation.

"I'll tell you where you can go.." Yusuke growled, the two friends getting in each other's faces, hurling insults while the two demons watched in mild amusement.

"Just like old times, eh, Kurama?" Hiei said with near fondness.

The kitsune smiled. "Indeed."

"We do need to form a plan though." The fire demon started, turning and walking back out towards the hallway, Kurama following suit as the two younger men bickered like an old married couple. "Got any ideas where to go to next?"

"I have a few lines of enquiry to make, yes." The red head said, turning his gaze when Yusuke and Kuwabara raced up from behind them.

"Wait for us, will ya?!"

The four men exited the way they came, heading down the sidewalk away from the complex as a pair of eyes watched from high above.

"So, uh, Kurama. What do we do next?" Kuwabara asked, matching the slightly shorter kitsune's stride as they ambled along.

"Well.." The kitsune began, eyes shifting from side to side as he focused his attention. "I think it's time we play a little game of our own." He stopped, voice soft and conspiratorial as he spoke. "Let's continue to follow this energy signature for a while.. see where it leads.. I have a feeling we'll get some information out of it."

"Uh.. alright.."

The detectives raced off, tracking the signature's erratic pattern, weaving around buildings and down alleyways, coming to a stop at a small private park, fenced off to keep intruders out.

"Interesting.." The red head murmured, leaping up and over, the rest following, splitting up in opposite directions, converging in the center moments later.

"Find anything?" Yusuke asked in general.

Kurama gave him a knowing look as he answered. "Yes.." Without warning, he pulled out a rose, feeding it energy, transforming it into a whip as he snapped up at the nearest tree, hearing a soft cry of surprise and retreating footsteps. Leaping up, he danced upon the boughs, his comrades right behind him. Whoever it was, they were very fast. The kitsune darted to the right, increasing his speed, heading to cut the watcher off only to gasp as a blast of energy slammed into him from in front and he tumbled down, crashing through the branches and slamming down into the dirt.

"Kurama!" Yusuke cried out in alarm, jumping down to his friend's side.

The red head winced, tossing the broken plant matter off his wounded body as he rose with the lead detective's help. "I'm.. alright, Yusuke. Keep going.. don't let him get away."

"Right!" Racing off, Yusuke continued his pursuit, catching sight of his quarry, Kuwabara and Hiei close behind and they spread out, hoping to nab their prey only to run head long into an invisible wall that sent them crashing back and onto the ground.

"What the hell?!" The dark haired boy snarled as he rose, trying to run forward again only to be pushed back. "What the fuck is this thing?"

"A force field." Hiei murmured, sheathing his sword after his failed attempt to slice through it. "A rather powerful one. Seems our.. friend.. is rather fond of playing games." He turned to Yusuke, brow furrowed. "Where is Kurama?"

"Right here." Kurama replied, limping a bit as he came up to them. He stopped before the nearly invisible force field, reaching out gingerly to touch it, watching it shimmer, a smile on his face. "Haven't seen one of these in decades. Most interesting." He commented softly, turning to face his friends. "Seems our quarry has eluded us, tonight. But not without given up information that will help us find them."

"How so?" Kuwabara asked, rubbing his backside from the rough treatment of crashing into the force field. "The guy got away."

"Believe me, Kuwabara, he won't escape us for long. All this did was confirm we were being watched."

"Yeah? Well, I'm hoping they're also listening. Cause when I get of hold of them I'm going to kick their ass!" Yusuke yelled then looked at his fellow detectives. "Let's get out of here. I'd like to figure out our next move over some breakfast and a good night's rest."

They all agreed to meet up the next day, going their separate ways. Kurama leapt up and through his window, unbuttoning his shirt and wincing at the bruise marks all over his torso. _This is going to take a bit to heal completely_. He thought, tossing the shirt aside. He fell onto his bed, looking up at the ceiling, his features relaxing, the façade of calm reserve slipping, replaced by concern. _Where are you, Botan? _He wondered, hoping like hell he could find her before.. before something bad happened to her. Kurama fell into an uneasy sleep, his dreams filled with the deity, nightmares replacing them as his mind tried to work out what had become of the girl he had feelings for.

XXXXXXXXX

Far away, Botan awoke to find herself bound to a strange bed, grogginess given way to panic as she found she could not move. _Where am I? What is going on? _She wondered, her mind slowly catching up with the situation as she remembered seeing that man.. feeling.. another's.. touch.. something painful in her neck.. then.. nothing.

"So you're awake? Good." A familiar voice echoed in the darkened room. "I hope your accommodations are satisfactory?"

The deity strained his eyes, trying to find the owner of the voice but to no avail. "What.. do you want with me?" She croaked out, trying hard not to break down into tears.

"All in good time, my lovely." The voice replied. "For now, I'd thought you'd like to know that your friends are looking for you as we speak. That red headed man of yours.. is quite clever."

Botan blushed despite the fact that Kurama wasn't hers, her voice defiant. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Come now, Botan, we both know who you think of when you.. how shall we say.. relieve your aches?"

The deity blushed even darker, squirming against her bonds. "You're a disgusting pervert.. you always were.. I don't know what my sisters saw in you!" She spat, biting at the hand that suddenly gripped her face, smirking in satisfaction at the hiss of pain as the hand withdrew.

"Call me all the names you want, wench, but I have the upper hand here. You'll all be begging for death by the time I'm through with all of you."

"Big words for a man who hides in the dark!" Botan shot back, frowning when silence met her ears. As scared as she was, her anger was greater and she sent up a silent prayer to be found, squirming to break free of her bonds, until they bled and exhaustion drained her energy and she panted, hearing footsteps in her room again and she called out weakly. "Who's there?" A sudden stabbing pain burst into her shoulder and consciousness left her.

"She's stronger than the others." A softer male voice spoke, his shadowed form turning to his right.

"Yes.. an excellent test subject." Another male voice replied. "I look forward to seeing the results." There was a pause before the second voice added. "Did the detectives give you any trouble?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle." Said the first. "It's been a rather enjoyable game so far, hasn't?"

The second reached out, opening the door, flooding the room with light, revealing two men, both of the same height and frame, one fair of hair and eyes of blue, the other dark haired with eyes of brown. "Yes indeed it has." Said the dark haired man, smirking as he closed the door, casting darkness into the room once more.

Okay.. so.. not much in the way of romance.. this is more in the tradition of YYH which places emphasis on quests, mystery, and horror. Not that I have to tell any of you that. Ahem.. anyway, for those hankering for romance, do not fret. It will come. This is just more detail and mystery orientated that my other works. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this. Leave me a few lines to let me know your thoughts and likes.. or.. dislikes.. Thank you for reading!


	3. Questions

Another installment. Hope you all enjoy.

**Chapter 3- Questions**

Kuwabara ran as fast as his feet could carry him. Dressed in the uniform for Meiou High School, he ignored the looks customers gave him as he burst through the ramen shop door. He spied Keiko behind the counter, whipping up bowl after bowl of ramen for her clientele, the incessant noise indicative of the prime time lunch hour. "Hey, Keiko. Is Urameshi in?" He asked, voice a bit winded from the long run.

Chucking a thumb behind her shoulder, Keiko looked briefly at her husband's best friend. "He's in the back with the others." She replied, distracted by the nearly overwhelming workload, adding, "Tell him to hurry up would you, Kuwabara? I am getting swamped out here."

"Will do!" The tall man said with a nod, making his way to the back, opening the door at the end to find Yusuke, Kurama and Hiei sitting around a table, their gazes meeting his with various states of annoyance.

"What the hell took you so long, Kuwabara?!" The head detective snapped, features beyond pissed off. "I told you the meeting was at twelve o'clock!"

The orange-haired teen dropped his school case onto the table, sitting down as he shot back, "Unlike you, mister drop out, I was at school! I can't just up and leave you know!" He stared daggers at the head detective as he growled. "What the hell kind of dumbass schedules our meeting during lunch hour?! Keiko's working her tail off out there!"

Yusuke waved his hand dismissingly. "Keiko's a big girl. She can handle herself just fine out there."

"You lazy bum!" Kuwabara snapped. "Real men help their wives when needed!"

"What the hell do you know, numbnuts?! You're not even married!"

Kurama watched his two friends bicker like old men, rubbing his temples in mild irritation. Normally, he was tolerable of the outbursts, having long been accustomed to the pair's bantering. But his concern for Botan and the desire to find her was overwhelming his calm façade and he was about to say something when Hiei stood up and drew his sword, launching it straight forward, the blade slicing through the air and between the two bickering men.

Yusuke and Kuwabara blinked, voices going silent as the sword passed then sunk into the wall past them.

"Now that you two have finally shut the hell up, maybe we can get down to the matter at hand?" Hiei growled, still standing, his red eyes daring either of the younger men to challenge him.

The head detective and his best friend, studied the fire demon in stuttered surprise, grumbling before they complied and sat down.

Kurama suppressed a chuckle at the dumbfounded looks of the two teens, his voice more neutral though inside he was troubled. "Now that we're all here, I think it's time we go over what we know and decide our next move."

"Okay.. so we know that the bastards who took these girls like to play games. They're smart and definitely of the demon variety. They have the ability to manipulate energy and the physical environment. They know who we all are and we don't know jack squat about their identities. That about sum it up?" Yusuke grumbled, arms crossed, still pissed at Kuwabara.

"Well.. basically.. yes.." Kurama replied, clearing his throat. "We need more information and I believe we may find something useful in Spirit World."

Yusuke thought for a moment before speaking. "Yeah.. good idea. I'd like to talk to toddler breath myself about a few things." Rising the head detective looked at his friends. "Let's go."

Kurama smiled, nodding while Hiei did the same.

Kuwabara rose, grabbing his bag. "I'll catch up with you guys later. I need to get back to school."

"Ah, come on, Kuwabara!" Yusuke snapped. "It's not like I'm asking you skip school for fun. This is serious business! Botan is out there suffering somewhere and it's our job to find her! Isn't that what real men do?"

The taller man studied his best friend with narrowed eyes. "You're a fine one to talk, leaving Keiko here by herself to do all the work."

"We've already gone over this!" Yusuke shot back. "I'll make it up to her later! So stop screwing around and come to Reikai with us!"

"Okay, fine! But if I get the crap kicked out of me by Shizuru for missing school, it's on your head!"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll give her some free meal vouchers to make it up to her." Yusuke replied under his breath as the group exited out the back, heading towards the nearest Spirit World portal.

XXXXXXXX

"So, Yusuke, what brings you all the way up here?" Koenma asked, brown eyes focused on his head detective. "Did you find something of interest to the case?"

Yusuke studied his boss. "Well, the fact of the matter is we don't have much to go on." He started, looking over to Kurama who gave him a nod. "That's why we're up here."

The toddler lord quirked an eyebrow. "And what is it you think you'll find up here? The crime was committed in Ningenkai."

"Yeah.." Yusuke started, "But the information we found points to something fishy going on up here."

"What?!" Koenma snapped, offended at the dark haired detective insinuation. "Are you trying to say that someone here did something to purposefully put these girls in danger?!"

Anger rose to the surface in the Mazaku descendent. "Look, I don't care where the crime happened, we need to find out how the hell those girls got caught in the first place. " He growled. "So why don't you have your nap time or whatever hell else it is you do and let us do the job you assigned us to do!"

"You really have an attitude problem, Yusuke." Koenma shot back, glaring at his star detective. "Give me one good reason why I should let you look through classified documents."

"Botan."

Both men turned in the direction of the voice, finding Kurama studying them with restrained calmness. Inside, the fox spirit was irritated, a rare flash of anger flaring in his emerald orbs as he continued, looking at Yusuke. "She's out there somewhere. All alone and suffering. We do not have the luxury of time to argue over trivial things." Kurama turned to Koenma. "We are not asking for the world, Koenma. Only those files and schedules pertaining to the three missing girls and Botan. Any clues we can find may helps us to track your employees down. That is what you want us to do is it not?"

The toddler lord relaxed, sitting back down in his seat, composing himself as he answered, "Of course it is." Chewing on his pacifier he pushed a button on his desk then turned to Yusuke. "Very well. Permission granted but only the files for those three and Botan. Is that understood?"

"Yeah, we hear ya." Yusuke replied, turning as a tall, dark haired woman entered.

"You called, my lord?" She asked, looking at Koenma with soft eyes.

"Yes, Ayame." Koenma replied, looking at the ferry girl. "Would you mind escorting the detectives to the case file room and retrieve the files and schedules for Kiko, Ran, Hinawari and Botan and give them to Yusuke and the others to study?"

"Of course, Lord Koenma, sir." Ayame bowed, turning her attention to the men as she spoke. "If you gentlemen would follow me, please."

The spirit detectives nodded to Koenma, moving forward and past the side door that led down the hall, soft light reflecting of the blue hue of the walls that surrounded them. Ayame stopped and turned to her right, swiping a card, a faint clicking noise echoing in the hall as the door slid open, revealing a large room lined with shelves of neatly stacked folders.

"Wait here, please." Ayame said softly, her purple kimono disappearing around the corner for a moment, reappearing with a stack of folders in her arms. She held them out to Yusuke who took them.

"Uh.. thanks.." He replied, balancing the folders as he looked up at the ferry girl.

"When you are finished, just press the button near the door and I will escort you back to Koenma's office."

"Thank you, Ayame." Kurama said softly, watching the girl bow then exit the room, leaving the men alone.

"Alright fox boy, we have the files. Now what do we do?" Yusuke grumbled, trying not to spill the folders as he turned his attention to the red head.

"Let's take them over to the table, Yusuke, then we'll start going through them one at a time."

"So, uh, Kurama?" Kuwabara's deep timbre rumbled out as the group headed over to the rectangular white table and sat down. "What are we looking for in these files?"

The fox spirit grabbed the top case file, eyes downward as he opened it, finding a picture of smiling Botan staring up at him. His features softened, eyeing the deity's image fondly, his bangs hiding the expression upon his face as he answered. "Several things, Kuwabara. First, we need to go over and cross check their schedules. We're looking for similar routes or areas these girls were sent." Scanning down the first sheet of information, he continued. "Secondly, we need to go over their personnel records and evaluations, see if there is any correlation between sudden changes in behavior and their disappearance."

"In other words, we're looking for anything weird or unusual that just happened to be recorded." Yusuke interjected, grabbing a file and opening it as he added. "So let's get digging before toddler boy changes his mind and boots us out."

Kurama nodded, continuing his reading. All of Botan's information was on display. From her age, to her place of origin, to her advancement to the chief deity and her responsibility of handing out the schedules to the other employees. _Hmm.. interesting_. He thought, flipping to the most recent report, quirking an eyebrow at what he found.

"So, Kurama…"

The kitsune looked up at the sound of the fire demon's voice. "What is it, Hiei?"

"You said we were looking for anything unusual." The small man slid the folder he was reading over to his friend. "I'd say this would qualify."

Kurama looked down, brow furrowed as he quickly read the notes and flipped the next page then the next, his features becoming more and more troubled as he read.

"What is it, fox boy?" Yusuke asked, studying the redhead with concern.

"These notes," The kitsune murmured, "they all document a growing restlessness and absence for this ferry girl, Kiko, that began six months ago." He paused, eyes still on the report before him. "It became so frequent that she was often found wandering the halls at night, as if sleep walking. On more than one occasion she was escorted back from Koenma's mansion itself, nearly catatonic."

"And no one found that suspicious?"

Kurama looked up at Yusuke, voice soft. "Yes. Botan did. These are her notes after all."

The detectives looked at each other then back to the kitsune.

"What else is in there, Kurama?"

"Not much else, Hiei. Miss Kiko's disappearance coincided with her last scheduled pick up somewhere within the Harajuku area of the Shibuya district." A thought began to form in the Youkai's mind and he murmured softly. "Is there anything similar to these events in the other two folders?"

"Uh.." Kuwabara sounded out, flipping through the file before him. "It says here that Miss Ran was complaining about her original assignment and kept pushing to be transferred to a different area. Which was repeatedly denied."

"Where was her original area of work, Kuwabara?"

The orange haired teen scanned down the page, turning to the next one. "Well, she was working in the Shinjuku area but requested to be put in the Shibuya district where her friend, Kiko, worked."

"Any behavioral issues listed?"

"Hang on." Flipping through the folder he nodded. "Well, it seems Ran was having trouble focusing and would often wander far off from her scheduled soul pick ups. When she'd return, she claimed to have no memory of the event and became ill and was deactivated from duty. The next day when they checked her room, they found her gone with no trace of her whereabouts."

"That's kinda what happened with this Hinawari chick." Yusuke chimed in, looking at the folder before him. "She started to act weird after Ran disappeared, restless and short tempered between jobs, coming back with memory lapses and a strange smile on her face, like her head was in the clouds or something. She disappeared after an assignment in the Roppongi area of the Minato-Ku district in Tokyo."

Kurama tapped his fingers. "Botan disappeared not far from Harajuku." Narrowing his eyes, the fox spirit took out his communicator, turning it on, feeding it information. "Hmm.. interesting.."

"What is it?"

Holding up the device he turned it, displaying a vibrant red triangle.

"Well, look at that." Yusuke said with a smirk. "Does that mean what I think it means, Kurama?"

"Indeed." the kitsune replied with a nod. "What is it that they say about predators? They like to work in areas they're comfortable being around in?"

"Should we go back down and investigate?" Hiei asked as the thrill of the hunt began to course through his veins.

"Not yet, Hiei. We still need to search the rooms of the missing girls." Rising, Kurama closed the folder and walked over to the door, pressing the button, smiling as Ayame's soft voice came through the intercom, informing them she was on her way.

XXXXXXX

"So then, what have you found out so far?" Koenma asked, twining his fingers as he rested his hands on the desk, eyeing each man intently.

"Not much, yet." Kurama spoke first, stepping forward and in front of Yusuke, flashing a quiet signal behind his back.

Yusuke frowned but remained silent, wondering what the kitsune was up to as he listened to his friend continue.

"We're hoping that a search of the each ferry girl's room will yield more information. Once we have that, we can proceed with our investigation. At your discretion of course."

Koenma studied the red head for a moment. Kurama was his most intelligent detective in his employ, ruthless in battle but loyal to his friends and family. His quick thinking and strategy had saved countless lives, defending the human world from demons and even helping save Reikai itself from the fringe group of terrorists not too long ago. Still, there was something odd in the way the kitsune spoke and it bothered him. "Is it really necessary to search their rooms?"

"I'm afraid we must." Kurama answered, his gaze and tone even as he studied his boss. "We will not take anything from their rooms. We only wish to search for any clues that might help us find them. The sooner we do this, the sooner we can track them down and bring them home."

Koenma tapped his fingers on the desk, features thoughtful. "Very well." Grabbing a pencil and paper, the toddler lord wrote a series of numbers, voice authoritative. "You may proceed in your investigation of the ferry girls rooms but be mindful of the others girls. I don't want you scaring them any more than they already are." He paused, holding the paper up for Yusuke, who snatched it, then added, "And if anything significant is found you come directly to me, understood?"

"You got it, Koenma." The head detective said with a nod, leading his friends back out of the toddler lord of Reikai's office, stopping just above the steps as he looked around. "Okay.. I think we go this way.." Yusuke spoke, walking down the steps and turning to the left, stopping when Kurama cleared his throat.

"Actually, Yusuke, it's to our right." The fox spirit said, pointing towards the large, four story building along the western perimeter of the Reikai Palace.

"And just how did you know where these silly girls reside, Kurama?" Hiei asked, smirking a bit as he studied the kitsune. Unlike the Mazaku and the orange haired human, the fire demon had caught a flash of emotion in his best friend's features and words, speculating the source of that concern. The blue haired ferry girl. True, Botan was rather beautiful but she was too scatterbrained and bubbly for the Koorime's liking. Hiei preferred his women to be strong and decisive, much like Mukuro, the youkai female he worked for and admired.

Kurama turned to look down at Hiei, inwardly surprised at the teasing tone of his friend. Had the fire demon caught on to his more than strictly professional concern for Botan? Not that the kitsune was ashamed of it, but to show such emotion right now would not do. "I have been up here several times, Hiei." Kurama replied in an even tone. "It would stand to reason I know the layout of the grounds fairly well, don't you agree?"

Hiei's smirk remained but he nodded. "Of course, Kurama." He replied, turning and heading down along the stone paved path that led to the ferry girl quarters. "So what is the plan exactly?" The fire demon asked as the kitsune fell into step beside him, Yusuke and Kuwabara close behind.

Kurama focused his gaze on the building up ahead, features thoughtful. "We know that all four missing women have some connection to the kidnappers. Three of them romantically."

"And Botan?" Hiei asked as they stopped at the quarters entrance.

Kurama paused for a second, steeling himself, wearing that mask that hid his emotions so well. "Botan knew her kidnapper. She suspected something and must have spied on her friends although no names were documented in the reports we went over." Pushing the door open, the kitsune stepped into the hallway, emerald eyes studying the brightly lit but empty corridor.

"Man.. it's pretty quiet around here." Kuwabara said, glancing around. "You think Koenma called ahead or something to warn the other girls not to talk to us?"

"That is a possible scenario, Kuwabara." Kurama replied, voice soft and distant. "The question is.. why?"

"Yeah.." Yusuke chimed in. "Toddler boy seemed pretty damn defensive and hesitate. I wonder why that is."

"Simple." Hiei said, as the four of them made their way over to the stairs in the center of the hall and started climbing. "He failed his duties and is loathe to admit it."

"Perhaps.." Kurama voiced, his ears picking up the sounds of giggling above them. The four men stopped as a small group of ferry girls descended, their eyes trailing over each detective's face and form, interest flickering in their gazes as they past, more giggles erupting as they looked over their shoulders and exited the stairwell.

"Uh.. was it just me or where those girls checking us out?" Kuwabara murmured, turning to his best friend who smirked.

"Oh yeah.. big time.." Yusuke replied, nudging the taller man. "Don't tell me you didn't like it.."

Kuwabara glared at his friend. "That's not the point, Urameshi!" the orange haired teen growled. "We're already taken, so looking at them is off limits!"

"Relax, Kuwabara, I was teasing." Yusuke replied, holding up his hands in a placating gesture, turning to Hiei who spoke.

"If this is their regular behavior, it's no wonder the kidnappers were able to nab them. They're as bad as the human females that flirt with every man they see."

"Come on, Hiei, they weren't trying to jump your bones." Yusuke said with a smirk. "They were just checking you out. It's not a crime. Unless of course.. you don't like girls.. "

Hiei threw a death glare at the taller man. "Don't make me have to kill you, Yusuke."

Kurama kept his thoughts silent as he mulled over what just happened. True, Hiei had a point. Such behavior would make it easy for a predator to lure their target. Lacking any male ferry men, these girls were probably lonely. It would make sense to seek some kind of connection outside of work. But why not with any of the men in spirit world? Were they that unappealing? Or was it the excitement of the forbidden that drew these women into relationships with men they thought were human but most certainly were not.

A darker scenario formed in his mind as to why these girls were targeted and the fox spirit's eyes narrowed, his scowling features relaxing at the sound of Yusuke's voice.

"Uh.. Earth to Kurama?"

The kitsune turned his gaze over to the head detective, that mask of reserve back in place, hiding his troubled emotions. "What is it, Yusuke?"

"Are you alright? You looked a bit upset there for a second. Don't tell me those girls upset you."

Kurama shook his head, smiling. "Of course not, Yusuke. I'm used to women looking at me in that manner." He replied, turning and starting up the stairs once more, the others following close behind. "Let's continue on, shall we?"

"Gee.. no ego here.." Yusuke murmured, though he smirked. It was well known that the kitsune was a highly sought after bachelor and just about every woman he knew found Kurama to be.. well.. hot.. is how they usually put it. The detective often wondered why the fox spirit never took those women up on their offers. All that tail and he never chased any of it. Was he training to be a monk or something? The head detective didn't understand. _Oh well_, he thought with a shake of his head. _Not my business anyway._

They stopped at the second level door, Kurama's soft voice asking, "What were the room numbers again, Yusuke?"

Yusuke pulled the slip of paper out of his jean pocket, brown eyes peering down at the writing. "Um.. let's see.. the three girls all lived on the second floor. Rooms 203, 227, and 261."

"And Botan's room number?"

"Forth floor, room 434." Yusuke answered, stuffing the paper back in his pocket. "So which rooms do we search first?"

The team looked at the two sets of doors on opposite sides. The northern wing held the lower numbers and the southern wing the higher numbers.

"I suggest we split up." Kurama suggested. "I think it best to have you three begin the search on this floor. If each of you pick a room, that should cut down on time. "

"What are we looking for, exactly?" Yusuke asked.

"Journals, pictures, papers. Anything that will help us find out the identity of the kidnappers. If you run into any of the other ferry girls, ask them if they noticed anything unusual or heard any rumors."

"And where are you going to be, Kurama?" Hiei asked, smirking as he already knew the answer.

The fox spirit lifted his gaze up the stairwell, voice soft. "Botan's room." He started forward, slowly going up the steps, throwing his voice over his shoulder. "If you find anything, page the communicator and let me know. We need to find these girls before it's too late."

Okay, a long chapter I know. It took me a long time to write this as the writer's block affliction is in full effect. Not to worry, I'll get over it. Hope to have Poison finished soon as well. Do jot a few words if you liked it. It helps push a writer when people comment.


	4. Scenes From A Memory

Another installment for your reading pleasure.

###### denotes flashback sequence

**Chapter 4- Scenes From a Memory**

Kurama stood before room 434, his hand hovering over the door knob, hesitation filling him. How long had he dreamt of coming here, entering the room to find the deity asleep upon the bed? Of sliding into bed beside her in the moonlit hours? To rest beside her and dream with her? To love her slowly, tenderly until the sun rose? The sudden longing for Botan was clouding his senses and he shook his head, forcing his emotions violent aside. _I cannot lose my focus. I must find Botan. _He chided himself, gathering his thoughts as he gripped and turned the knob. Opening the door, Kurama reached in, hand sliding on the wall until he found the switch and flicked it on. A soft light filled the room and he entered, closing the door gently behind him.

His gaze roamed, falling upon the vanity to his right and he moved slowly towards it, eyes focused on the rather large stuffed white fox that sat between two framed photos. The first was of the all his friends, posing for a group photo on the beach upon the return of Yusuke from Makai. The second image was of Botan and himself, posing in a shutter booth, dressed in traditional clothing for the Sumida River Fireworks festival.

Kurama reached out, lifting the framed photo and studied it, not surprised at the open display of affection upon both their faces. His features softened as his mind flashed back to that moment of time. The moment he first realized he loved Botan.

#############

Dressed in a dark grey leaf patterned silk Yukata, Kurama weaved through the crowd of people lining the streets near the Sumida river, mildly anxious for the start of the fireworks festival to begin. The sun was slowly fading, bringing a little bit of relief from the oppressive heat that had built up throughout the late July day. A faint sheen of sweat glistened upon his unmarred forehead as the fox spirit focused his gaze some distance ahead, catching a flash of blue hair and a vibrantly colored kimono. He smiled, making his way forward, coming to a stop just beyond the game stall where Botan stood, her features a mask of concentration.

Content to watch for the moment, Kurama followed the motion of her hand flicking a metallic ring at some unseen object, tilting his head as he witnessed her features fell and her shoulders slumped. His sensitive ears picked up on her words, "not again…" detecting frustration and he frowned, stepping around a group of giggling school girls, ignoring their open stares as he made his way to her side.

"Is something wrong, Botan?" He asked, blinking at her sudden jump as she whirled to face him.

"Kurama!" She cried in surprise then pouted. "Don't scare me like that!"

The fox spirit flashed her an apologetic look though part of him found her pout rather cute. "I am sorry. It wasn't my intention to startle you," He began. "You seemed to be in some sort of distress and I thought I might help you out. So what is vexing you?"

"It's this stupid game!" The deity growled, letting out a puff of air as she crossed her arms. "No matter what I do, I can't get the ring to go around the prize I want and it's driving me crazy!"

Kurama shifted his gaze to the inner game stall, studying the various stuffed animals. "Which prize is it you are trying to win?"

The deity shifted, pointing to a large stuffed white fox in the far right corner and the spirit detective focused on the object of her desire. The fox was larger than the others, and he looked down, finding a minefield of metal rings lining the floor around it and he quirked an eyebrow, turning back to her. "How much have you spent on this game, Botan, if I may ask?"

"About 4600 Yen."

Kurama blinked in surprise. _That's a lot for one game_. He thought then flashed her a soft smile, walking past her. Stopping in front of the vendor he handed the man some more money, ignoring the snicker as three rings were handed to him.

"Good luck, buddy."

Returning to Botan's side, the fox spirit handed the deity the rings, a confident smile on his face as the girl looked up at him in surprise. "Try again, Botan."

"Are you sure?"

"I know you can do it, Botan. Just relax and focus on the fox."

"Well.. okay.." She murmured and flicked the metal ring forward, a look of hope on her face as it sailed through the air, shoulders dropping as it missed the intended target, slamming into the back wall with a soft "clank!"

"See what I mean?"

Kurama watched the arc of the ring, noting a slight wobbly motion as it crashed into the back and he came up behind her, surprising them both as his right hand rested over hers, his voice soft as he leaned in to whisper in her ear. "You need to change the angle of your throw, Botan." His left hand rested on the deity's hip, his body nearly pressed against hers as he moved their right arms in unison, releasing a slight bit of energy down his arm, feeding it through the girl's hand. He concentrated, forcing it to circle around the ring, balancing out the uneven weight meant to cause it to sail off. He felt Botan lean back against him as the ring flew out, zooming towards the stuffed fox, twirling around it's body as the ring sunk down over it. "Like that…" He murmured, turning his gaze back to her, noting her heated cheeks. There was something in her look that woke up a long dormant desire and he felt himself lean his head closer to hers. "Seems the fox has been ensnared now. The prize is yours."

A sudden roar of the gathered crowd brought Kurama to his senses and he cleared his throat, backing away, slowly releasing his hold on Botan's hand and hip. The flicker of less than pure emotion faded from his features, replaced with a friendly smile. "Good job, Botan." His ears picked up the sound of disbelief from the vendor.

"There's no way.."

"I believe the lady has won her prize." Kurama began, gazing down coolly at the smaller man. "Unless of course, you want the good people here to know you rigged the rings to be unbalanced."

"Okay, okay.." The vendor said quickly, voice low and conspiratorial. "No need to be so hasty." Racing over, he grabbed the fox and went over to the deity, handing it to her.

Kurama smiled at the look of delight and happiness on the blue haired girl's pretty features, trying to control the pang in his heart as he watched Botan hug the fox then come over to him.

'Isn't he cute?" She asked, her amethyst eyes twinkling as she looked up at the kitsune. "I think I'll call him Kurama. What do you think?"

The red head gave a small chuckle. "It's a fitting name." He replied, surprised when the deity slid her arm with his but did not pull away, features softening when she asked, "Where to next?"

They spent the next hour playing a few more games and enjoying the variety of food stalls, and Kurama found himself content to spend time with the ferry girl. It did not bother him to hold her hand or talk to her. She was full of a life and light that soothed his darker nature and her smile… Her smile made his heart flutter and he felt indulgent. Even when she stopped and grabbed his hand, voice excited.

"Ohh! A shutter booth! Let's get our picture taken!"

"Picture?"

"Yeah!" Botan replied, beaming up at him. "Doesn't it sound like fun?"

"Well.." He started, blinking when she tugged him forward and inside, causing him to stumble into her. He felt a heat on his cheek as the girl giggled and untangled herself from him, slipping some money into the slot, hopping into the kitsune's lap and posing before Kurama could murmur any protest. The rapid flash made him blink but he managed to smile and lean his head into hers when she motioned him to, the control of his emotions slipping a bit, something akin to love taking hold of his heart. He didn't fight it but let it flow, studying her with open adoration as the final picture snapped.

"Botan.." He murmured, drawing her attention to him, watching a flicker of emotion similar to his own play out along her features.

"Hmm?"

Her voice was soft, alluring and he felt spellbound. "I.." He started then stopped, unused to declaring such soft emotions to anyone, especially someone he was developing strong feelings for. "That is.." He continued, brow furrowed at the sudden giggling outside.

"Hey you in there! Let other people have a turn at the booth, would you?"

Kurama sighed, feeling Botan shift off his lap, the spell broken as he pulled the black curtain back, letting the deity exit first then followed close behind. The sky was darkening, the crowds heading towards the river bank, signaling that the fireworks show was be starting soon.

"Shall we go find the others?" He asked, regaining some control on the warring emotions in his mind, heart, and body. He could sense her disappointment but smiled as she nodded and took his outstretched arm. The kitsune escorted her through the crowd, using his ability to sense particular ki to find the rest of the gang. They settled down in a prime spot to view the fireworks, Kurama looking up as the sky exploded in a fantastical array of colors and designs, his heart fluttering as he felt Botan take his hand, her laughter and cheering infectious and the fox spirit let his mask fall, open emotion on his face as he enjoyed the closeness of her and the perfect moment in time.

##############

Kurama lowered the photo back onto the dresser, a sad smile upon his lips. He had never finished telling he what he had wanted to say that night. The words, "I love you" Were not something he took lightly. But he loved her. He had always loved her. He wanted to tell her, to show her. But that chance was rapidly slipping away. He felt an ache in his heart and it was becoming harder to ignore. He could hide it well but if something happened to the deity.. if he was too late..

_No_. He thought. _Failure is not an option. I will find her._ Filled with a sense of urgency, he renewed his search of her room, heading over towards the ferry girl's bed. Sitting down on the edge, he laid back, instinctively turning his head and nuzzling the pillow, inhaling her scent. He felt an intense longing for her then but he managed to push it back, turning his gaze up towards the ceiling, clearing his lustful thoughts, reason coming back as he tried to put himself in the ferry girl's shoes_. If I had information that I wanted to keep personal, where would I put it so I had easy access but only I could find it?_

Under the mattress was too easy. Drawers would have been rifled through. Hidden panels required too much work. His gaze shifted to the small book case just beyond the night stand and he rose, pushing off the bed. Strolling over, the kitsune closed his eyes, searching out for any traces of Botan's energy. Reaching out, his hand clasped a book and he pulled gently, opening his eyes, staring down at a book cover labeled, "Fashions for the Modern Woman." He was about to put it back when a sudden impulse hit him and he removed the book cover, smiling at the light purple hardcover. It was unlabeled and he opened it, recognizing the deity's handwriting.

_Clever girl._

Kurama began to read, color flooding his face when he came upon some particularly.. intimate writings.. in regards to the deity's feelings for him. His ears picked up the sounds of footsteps and he quickly wrapped the journal back in the fake book cover, sliding it back on the bookshelf, slipping his mask of reserve on as he turned, watching the door open. The kitsune's gaze fell upon Yusuke who strolled inside, followed by Kuwabara and Hiei.

"Hey, fox boy. Find anything useful?" The head spirit detective asked, making his way over towards the kitsune.

"I have not." Kurama lied, though inside he was both frustrated and delighted at the realization that Botan had feelings for him as much as he had for her. "How did your search go?" He asked, walking towards the group, hoping to corral them outside before the picture was spotted. He stopped halfway when Yusuke began to look around and wandered over towards the vanity, growling inwardly as the smaller man lifted the framed photo, features and voice teasing.

"Oh hoh.. what do we have here?" He waved the frame around. "I don't remember ever seeing this picture before. No wonder you never date any women. You're seeing Botan, aren't you?"

Kuwabara saw the flash of anger in Kurama's eyes and he moved over to his best friend. "Stop acting like a stupid kid, Urameshi, and put the picture down." He chided, blinking as Yusuke stuck his tongue out.

"Make me, carrot top."

"Why you punk!" Kazuma growled, reaching out to grab at the photo, the two of them playing tug of war, both gasping as the frame flew out of their hands, spiraling through the air, about to hit the ground when Kurama darted forward, catching it.

Yusuke raised his arms upright, shouting out, "Touchdown!"

Kurama sighed and rose, a flicker of gold in his eyes as he growled. "I am not amused, Yusuke."

The younger man blinked, lowering his arms, clearing his throat. "Sorry about that."

"Idiots.." Hiei murmured, smirking at the glare the head detective and Kuwabara through his way.

Kurama ignored them all, placing the photo carefully back onto the dresser, then turned, eyes narrowed and brimming with anger as he spoke. "Let us head out into the hall."

"Uh.. sure thing, Kurama." Yusuke replied, feeling a bit sheepish at his own antics.

The other men followed him outside, watching as the red head closed Botan's door carefully then turned to face them. "Did you have any luck with your searches?" He asked, all business now.

Yusuke quirked an eyebrow at the shift in his friend's features and emotions. a few minutes ago he was angry and now he was calm and collected. _You sure are scary when you let that mask of yours slip, Kurama. _The head detective thought as he cleared his throat. "Yeah, we found quite a bit, actually." He started, pulling out a couple of pictures from his back jean pocket. "Check these out."

Kurama looked down at the two photos, taking them from Yusuke's outstretched hand. He recognized the woman in each photo as one of the missing ferry girls. The one called Ran stood with her arms around a man with dark hair, while the second depicted Kiko with a man just as tall as the first but fair of hair. Dark and light.. features identical and yet.. different hair and eyes.. what did it mean?

"I think these two creeps are the guys that took Botan and the other girls." Yusuke said, verbalizing what the kitsune already believed.

Nodding, Kurama lowered the pics, handing them back to his friend. "What else did you find out?"

"Well, it looks like these rooms were already thoroughly searched." Yusuke answered. "We were lucky to find those two photos and the one journal in Ran's room." He added, grumbling. "Looked like a group of Ogres went on a panty raid the way stuff was shuffled in the drawers."

"I was the one who found all that stuff, Urameshi!" Kuwabara interjected. "You couldn't even figure out where girls would hide things. Luckily for us, I have a sister so I know all about hiding things."

"More like you know how to snoop through your sister's things." Yusuke snorted under his breath.

"You're such a jerk, Urameshi!" The taller orange hair man snapped. "Why can't you give credit where credit is due!"

"What the hell does it matter who found it, jackass?!" Yusuke growled. "It's not like you get a bonus for finding it first!"

Kurama processed the information, suspicion growing as he asked, "Was there anything of relevance in the journal that would help our case?"

"Since time is of the essence and these two dolts will only continue their ceaseless bickering, I'll answer." Hiei replied, ignoring the protests of the two younger men. "The names of one man surfaces repeatedly in the journal. Yukio Kuromoto." The other three men listened as the fire youkai continued. "Seems this Yukio character was quite the lover boy. She went into rather explicit detail of their couplings. Each time she was away from him, her longing grew stronger until every thought was of him and whatever he asked of her she would do."

"Whatever he asked of her?" Kurama murmured, taking the journal from his best friend's outstretched hand.

"The last entry is the most bizarre rambling I've ever read."

The kitsune flipped to the last page, frowning as he read aloud the contents:

**I have done it! The plan has been set into motion and he will reward me with the promise he made. The others will understand in time but this is the way it must be. For the good of the three realms, cosmic dissonance must hold sway. Like a great fire it will consume, burning the old and renewing life to that which was once dead. I cannot wait for Yukio to take me to the paradise beyond the pale! What fun it shall be!**

Closing the journal, his features grew troubled and his eyes narrowed. "Cosmic Dissonance…"

"What does that mean, exactly?" Yusuke asked.

"Well.. on the surface it would appear to be some kind of plot to cause discord. Across the three realms.." Kurama shook his head. "But there could be more to it.. there has to be.." He murmured to himself, a faint recollection growing in his mind as he walked swiftly towards the stairwell.

"Hey, Kurama!" Yusuke called out. "Where are you going?!"

"To speak with Koenma." The fox spirit called out over his shoulder, throwing the door open as he raced down the stairs, his friends close behind.

Okay.. long time coming I know but I've been having computer problems and a world class case of writer's block. But now I'm on a roll and will ride it as long as I can. For the romantics out there, I hope you enjoyed the flashback sequence. There will be more of the mush later on. Ahem, anyway, do leave me a few notes if you liked my drivel. Thank for reading!


	5. Mind Control

Another update, long overdue. Same disclaimers apply.

**Chapter 5- Mind Control**

It didn't take long before the fox spirit burst through the spirit lord's office door, voice soft but accusing. "You lied to us, Koenma."

The small ruler of Reikai blinked, chewing on his pacifier. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Cosmic Dissonance.." Kurama replied, stalking closer, coming to a stop at the front of Koenma's desk. "Does that ring any bells?"

He saw a flicker of recognition in the toddler lord's eyes, the pacifier all but falling from his lips as he looked up at Kurama in shock. "I.. I don't know.."

"Lying serves no purpose, Koenma." The kitsune continued, voice soft but stern. "Your ogre guards are rather clumsy investigators." He held up the journal, noting the look of dismay on his boss's face. "This was found in Miss Ran's room, hidden out of sight of your guards. If they had learned to wash the room of their scent and ki, none of us would have known any better. But the fact remains that you ordered the search and tried to keep what you found to yourself." He paused, leaning over the desk, flecks of gold floating in his emerald pools. "What I want to know is where are the other notes, journals, pictures. What else are you hiding from us and why would you do something so foolish?"

Koenma met the larger man's gaze for a moment, before breaking it off. "You have to understand that I want the girls found. But I was hoping to do it without you finding out about the root cause of the situation."

"What or who is Cosmic Dissonance?"

The toddler lord sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Long ago, when my father was in control and before my birth into this world, there was a group of concerned Reikai citizen-scientists that feared a merging of all three realms. They pursued a way of producing a bio chemical agent that would subdue the demon population on a grand scale should they try and invade the spirit realm." He began, voice soft and distant. "They went into Makai and subjected captured demons to this drug. The side effects were said to vary between hallucinations and madness."

"I remember this." Kurama murmured in surprise as his youkai mind began to put pieces of the puzzle together. "Stories were told of strangers of a spirit world nature, invading and wiping out villages of demons with some sort of weapon." His eyes narrowed. "They became the boogiemen in the demon world. Much like myself during my days as Youko Kurama."

"Yes.. boogiemen." Koenma repeated. "Only they were very real." He continued. "Through their experiments, they perfected the drug, which was said to render the subject docile and suggestive to commands."

"Why not just find something to wipe all demons off the face of the world if that was what they wanted." Yusuke interjected, "Why piss around with some drug that may or may not work?"

"They didn't want to destroy Makai, Yusuke." Koenma replied. "They wanted to control it. At first it was for the good of the realm but then it quickly shifted into something more nefarious." He noticed Yusuke's puzzled look and clarified his answer. "Imagine the power you could wield if you could subdue even S class demons with the mere suggestion. Send them off to deal with the masses. They wouldn't have to dirty their hands at all. They would become the new rulers of this world." The toddler king looked downward. "My father found out and put a stop to the project, but not before an attempt was made to seize control of Reikai. He stripped the scientists of all their power and sent them down into Makai, sealing that realm from the human and spirit world. And so it remained until recent times, as you well know."

"Okay.." Yusuke began. "So what does that have to do with the disappearance of the ferry girls?"

"It has everything to do with it, Yusuke," Kurama interjected, his gaze still on his boss as he pushed off the desk. "Someone is continuing where that group left off. Only this time it's reversed."

"Reversed?"

Kurama turned his gaze over to Kuwabara, nodding at his questioning voice. "Yes.. the demons are now the masters.. and the subjects.. are of spirit world blood.." Returning his gaze back to Koenma, the kitsune asked, "That was the name of the project, wasn't? Cosmic Dissonance."

Koenma nodded. "That was the code word given for the project."

"So why did you feel the need to hide this information from us?" Yusuke asked.

The toddler lord looked away. "I don't like airing my dirty laundry. I felt it wasn't necessary to know the particulars of why this was happening. Only that it was and it needed to be stopped."

"How very noble of you to spare us the particulars." Kurama murmured, eyes brimming gold as he stared down in mild contempt, switching up his questioning. "We have one name.. Yukio Kuromoto.. who is the other man behind this?"

Koenma blinked. "Who?"

The kitsune held out his hand to Yusuke who placed the photos into the red head's palm. "These two men." Kurama repeated, holding them up for his boss to see. "One is Yukio. The other is unknown."

Koenma shook his head. 'I have no idea who these two men are."

"You're sure of that?" Kurama asked, insistent, his infinite patience being stretched to it's limit, his desperation to find Botan bringing Youko closer to the surface. "You have no idea who either of these men are?" He continued, moving the photos closer.

"I'm telling you I have no idea who they are."

"Really?" Kurama replied, narrowing his eyes as he placed the photos onto the desk and slid them towards the toddler lord. "Botan knew her kidnappers. You knew that." He said accusingly. "You had to have known that from the audio recording of her abduction. I find it highly unlikely that she wouldn't come to you with her suspicions. So I'll ask one more time. Who are these two men?"

But Koenma was undeterred. "She came to me about her fellow ferry girls being swooned by some human lotharios, yes. But she never revealed any names or what they might look like. I told you as much at the beginning of your investigation. If I knew who they were, I would tell you."

Kurama dropped Ran's journal onto the desk, sliding it towards him.

"What is this?" Koenma asked looking from the book to the kitsune.

"The journal of the first of the abductees. The end is most interesting. Why don't you read it and tell me what you think?" Kurama asked softly, though his eyes were brimming with irritation.

Koenma opened the journal and flipped to the last entry, his brow furrowed as he read. When he'd finished, the toddler looked up, confusion in his features and voice. "What does this mean?"

Kurama met his boss's gaze, his own voice troubled. "It means that the perpetrators of this abduction have more planned than simply testing some mind control drug. The question is, what exactly do they have planned?" He rose up to his full height, peering down at the smaller man. "You've kept us in the dark before, Koenma. If you have any other information that can help us, I suggest you tell us now before it's too late."

The toddler lord shook his head. "There is no other information I can give you that you haven't already found out."

"Then we've delayed long enough." Hiei interjected his thoughts on the matter. "I think it's time we investigate that triangle of sites you linked earlier, Kurama."

"Triangle?" Koenma said, frowning. "What triangle?"

"We've determined from the sites of each disappearance that the kidnappers must be operating within a triangular area of the city." The kitsune answered. "Our goal now is to find them, capture them, and bring the two men to justice." He paused then added a bit mockingly, "That is what you wanted all along, isn't it, Koenma?" The fox spirit didn't wait for a response as he turned and exited his boss's office, the rest of the detectives following close behind.

"Man, Kurama, you sure know how to put pacifier breath in his place." Yusuke commented, studying his friend. "Think you can teach me how to do that?"

"He needed to be called out for his mismanagement of facts for this case." Kurama replied as he continued walking. "But I could have handled it better than I did." He admitted, shaking his head. It was not like him to become visibly upset or emotional. But Botan was precious to him and he felt this growing fear that he was already too late to save her. _No! _He growled inwardly_. I refuse to give up! _His legs gave form to his thoughts and he raced forward, calling out. "We must hurry!"

The rest of the group blinked, looking at each other than followed, running to catch up as they leaped through the portal back to human world.

XXXXXXXX

Lights flickered across the face of Yukio Kuromoto, his brown eyes intently focused on the screen before him. Soft footsteps echoed in the room and the dark haired kidnapper smirked. "It seems our quarry has figured out more that we thought. What do you think, Kane?"

The blond man came to a stop, matching Yukio's smile. "So it would seem, brother." He replied, his blue eyes looking down at the dark haired man. "The question is, what do we do now?"

Yukio leaned back in his seat, tapping his fingers on the armrest before answering. "It seems we will be having guests soon.' He replied, grinning from ear to ear, flicking a switch, a new monitor flaring to life, the image of Botan visible on the screen. "I think it's time we sent out a welcome party, don't you agree?"

XXXXXXXXX

"So what's the plan, Kurama?" Yusuke asked, his gaze focused on the red head as the detectives walked out of the Shibuya station and into the bustling sidewalks filled with shoppers and tourists. The mass of people was a bit disconcerting for Hiei who grumbled. "Yes, what is the plan Kurama? The sooner we get away from the mass of humans, the better."

Kurama took out the communicator in his pocket, flipping it open. "Before we begin our search, we should sync up our communicators, after that, the best course of action is to split up."

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Kurama?" Kuwabara asked. "Wouldn't it be safer to go as a group or in pairs?"

"Normally, yes." The kitsune conceded. "But we can cover more ground if we split up than if we remained together." His features shifted into an open display of concern. "I fear we don't have much time left to find Botan and the other missing women."

"Are you sure about that, Kurama?" Hiei asked. "I didn't find anything, in all of our information gathering, that indicated a time limit before possible death."

"Nor did I." The red head replied. "I am going on my instinct, Hiei. It feels like time is running out for these girls. We must find them tonight or I fear we will be too late to stop their deaths or.. worse.."

Kuwabara blinked. "What could be worse than death?"

The kitsune's voice softened and he shook his head sadly. "Now is not the time to discuss that, Kuwabara. Suffice to say, the merciless in this world do not mete out a quick or painless death."

"Then let's stop talking and get this party started." Yusuke said, reasserting his status as head detective.

"Agreed." Kurama replied, waiting for the others to sync up with the map on his communicator. "We should remain in constant contact throughout our search. The moment you find something, send out the signal and the rest of us will meet up at those coordinates." He added, the rest of the group nodding before the four of them split up, each taking a different direction, keeping contact on and off as they searched their chosen area.

Kurama took the northern route, keeping his eyes out for anything unusual. He stopped outside of the Shibuya fire station and lifted his communicator to speak. "Anything yet?" He asked, waiting for feedback from the other members of the group.

"Nothing on my end." Kuwabara sounded out first. "Though there are a lot of pretty girls out tonight."

"Eh heh.. what would Yukina say to that?" Yusuke's voice interjected teasingly, earning a growl from his best friend.

"Shut up, Urameshi!"

"Morons.." Hiei's voice added to the conversation, talking over the chatter from the younger men. "Nothing unusual yet, Kurama. Are you certain this is the right approach?"

_The right approach_. He repeated inwardly. Was it really? Was he doing right by these women, who could very well be dead already. Was that why there was no sign of their whereabouts? _No. _He thought with a shake of his head. If they were dead, the kidnappers would have no motive to taunt the detectives as they did. No motive to keep them hidden. _So where would I hide if I wanted to remain hidden within this massive city? Buildings? No. That would be too easy. Too many people could stumble into their operation._ Yet they had to be in the triangle markings. So where?

His eyes fell upon a sign and an idea sparked in his brilliant mind. "Trees.."

"What?" Hiei replied. "What about trees?"

"Parks. They have them hidden in one of the parks." The kitsune elaborated.

"You sure about that, Kurama?" Kuwabara asked. "Wouldn't they be more secure in a building or something?"

"That's just it, Kuwabara." Kurama said, walking towards the sign that pointed to Yoyogi Park. "If they can manipulate their surroundings, why can they not create a base of operations within any of the parks? No one is allowed to enter beyond the walkways. Where else would they be safer than in a forest in the middle of the city?" He paused then added, "Remember when we chased one of the kidnappers through the park near the tower where Botan was kidnapped? Remember the force barrier that stopped our pursuit? You could not sense it unless you were touching it. That barrier also hides any unusual power bursts of energy from being detected within it's borders, allowing them to be untraceable unless you run into the barrier itself. That is why it must be in one of the parks."

"Well, it's worth a shot." Yusuke sounded out. "Let's do it then. Check out every park in your area. The first sign of something odd, we meet up and kick some ass."

"Gotcha." Kuwabara sounded out next.

"Can't hurt to look through the trees I suppose.." Hiei added his two cents.

"Be careful and good luck." Kurama replied, shutting his communicator and stuffing it in his pocket. He entered Yoyogi ten minutes later, stars replacing blue sky as night fell upon the city. No one else was around, as the parked had closed a short time earlier and the kitsune jumped, landing on the large bough of a nearby tree. His emerald eyes scanned his surroundings, looking for any visual clues and he frowned, jumping back down onto the pathway. _Guess I'll have to search the woods themselves_. He thought, lifting his head at the sudden spike of familiar spiritual energy, his eyes widening as he saw the form of Botan zoom past him.

"Botan!" Kurama cried, surprise in his voice at the sight of the missing deity. He frowned as she continued on, as if not hearing him and he took off after her, racing down the pathway, veering left into the woods, crashing through the brush without thought of safety or body. So caught up was the kitsune into the chase that he failed to contact his friends, the desire to get to the deity and save her overwhelming his usually cautious behavior.

His head pounded from the rush of blood but he was relentless, jumping up into the treetops, vaulting over limbs, gaining purchase, catching up to the deity. "Botan, stop!" Kurama yelled, troubled that she would not or could not hear him. She wasn't slowing down, wasn't going to stop and the kitsune decided to take a gamble. _If she will not stop, I will make her stop. _He vowed, pushing off the nearest branch with a burst of power, flying through the air, straight into Botan and he wrapped his arms around her, the pair rocketing towards the ground and Kurama twisted his body in the air like a gymnast, landing on his feet, Botan in his arms as the oar she was riding crashed into the small open field of ground near them.

The kitsune lowered the deity to her feet, wrapping his arms around her, voice full of emotion he would not share with anyone else. "Botan.. My Botan.. you're safe.. it's alright now.. everything is going to be alright." He buried his nose into her hair, eyes widening suddenly as a sharp pain flared in his left side. The fox spirit gasped, pulling back to look down, surprise filling him at the blade lodged into his side, blood spreading through his shirt as pained emerald eyes lifted and met the empty amethyst ones of Botan.

A cliffhanger.. hmm.. surprise, surprise, eh? Anyway, this was a long time coming but I finally managed to break through the writing blahs and get this worked out. Hope you all enjoyed it. Leave a few lines if you approve. Thanks for reading!


	6. Puppet Master

Cosmic Dissonance

Chapter 6-Puppet Master

Kuwabara walked off the beaten path of Shimizudani park, noting the wildness of the trees. Faint lights could be seen in the distance but the air had a creepy feel to it that made the orange haired boy nervous. He looked around warily, his steps cautious as he held out his hands. _This is so stupid_. He grumbled, recalling the previous incident with the force field. _That field knocked me on my ass the last time and here I am walking around like a damn fool lost in the darkness. _

He continued on, stalking through some thick foliage, eyes darting about or some hint of their target. He sensed nothing and saw nothing. Getting frustrated he lowered his arms and straightened his frame. _No more pussy footing around! I'm going to do this like a real man would! _Kuwabara marched forward, eyes widening as his foot caught on the root of a tree and he crashed forward, a muffled sound of pain as his head smacked into something solid.

"What the hell?!" He grumbled, reaching up to rub his head before pressing his hands forward, blinking as they touched what appeared to be empty air. Yet the air would not bend and a grin spread upon Kuwabara's face. _Bingo!_

Whipping out his communicator, the human spirit detective opened it, voice full of triumph as he spoke. "Hey you guys, I found the force field!"

Yusuke's voice cracked through first. "Good job, Kuwabara! Patch through the coordinates and we'll meet up with you."

Kuwabara pressed the signal button, sending out his coordinates, the look of pride on his face shifting to one of irritation as Hiei's voice cut through.

"Are you sure the moron didn't just bump his head and is now suffering from hallucinations?"

"Shut it shrimp!" Kuwabara snapped. "I'm not blind! I know what I've found!"

"Hn.. that remains to be seen." Hiei shot back softly, a hint of malice in his voice.

"Will you two knock it off." Yusuke growled. "Has Kurama responded yet?"

The human spirit detective blinked. "Uh.. well. no.. not yet anyway."

There was a pause on Yusuke's end. "Just hang tight, Kuwabara. We'll be there in a minute."

Kuwabara closed his device, turning his gaze to the invisible field. He reached out again, trailing his fingers along the barrier. It felt solid and unreal, a faint tingling on his fingertips as he moved a few feet along the field. His back stiffened as he felt a familiar energy and he turned to find Yusuke and Hiei both staring at him.

"Uh.. hey guys.." He started, lowering his hand to his side. "The barrier.. is.. well.. it's really odd.. got a tingly feeling in my fingers from touching it."

"Oh?" Yusuke started, flashing a grin at his friend. "A tingly feeling, eh?"

Kuwabara narrowed his eyes. "You're such a jackass, Urameshi…"

"Yeah, but I'm not the one commenting on.. tingly feelings.." Yusuke retorted then held up his hands to silence the larger man. "Seriously though.. where is Kurama? He should have responded by now."

"Yeah, I know. " Kuwabara replied. "It's not like him to lose contact with us."

"He could be in trouble." Yusuke commented, frowning as he looked down at Hiei who chimed in.

"That is quite likely."

Kuwabara looked back to the barrier. "Then there is no time to waste, guys!" A flash of light erupted from his palm, elongating, taking shape into a straight blade that resembled his dimension sword. Slicing downward, the blade cut through the barrier, the air shimmering as the force field dissolved, revealing a small bunker door, painted in camouflage.

Hiei and Yusuke blinked, looking from the bunker door to Kuwabara.

"Why the hell didn't you use your sword on the barrier the last time we ran into it?" Yusuke demanded, quirking an eyebrow at his friend's retort.

"Does it matter? Let's just get in there, save the girls, and kick some demon butt." The orange haired teen quipped, rushing forward. He led the way, making to kick the door when Hiei stopped him.

"Hey, what's the big deal?"

The fire demon sighed. "I'd like to try to sneak in quietly for once, if you don't mind."

Kuwabara backed off, grumbling. "Go for it, mister sneaky pants…"

Hiei scowled but made no comment, reaching out to push down the door handle. A faint clicking noise erupted and the fire demon reached up, his small hand wrapping around the hilt of his katana, sliding it out in one smooth movement. He poked the blade forward, forcing the door open. A whoosh of air swirled up, tugging at Hiei's bangs and he flinched, jumping back in reflex, his smaller form bumping into the larger one of Yusuke.

"Gee, Hiei, jumpy much?" The head detective teased.

The smaller man frowned, blade lowered at his side, voice soft and troubled. "Did you not smell the air?" He retorted. "It reeks of death and unnaturalness.."

Yusuke moved forward, inhaling the air, quirking an eyebrow as he looked back to his friend. "I take it you've never been to a hospital before?"

"Hospital?"

The taller man chuckled at Hiei's puzzled look. "It's disinfectant. To make things sterile."

The fire demon was not placated and wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Whatever it is, I don't like it."

Yusuke smiled but didn't comment, voice firm as he spoke. "Let's see where this leads." Pushing the door open fully, the head detective entered the stairway, cautiously making his way down the winding steps, Hiei and Kuwabara close behind.

Lights flicked on and off as they reached the bottom, their gazes roaming, and their ears focused for unusual noise that might indicate where their targets were. The narrow hallway opened, giving way to a larger room. Dim lighting revealed some kind of machinery and four large cylindrical tanks. A pulsing noise, low and constant, filled the room.

"What a weird place." Kuwabara murmured, edging closer to the nearest tank. "Kind of makes you wonder what they were doing down here."

"Experimenting." Hiei said in a soft tone, his red eyes surveying the surroundings, blinking at the sudden flash of light that filled the room, a look of surprise marred his handsome features as he stared at the four tanks in front of him.

"Found the swit.. " Yusuke's voice started then died out at what he saw. He stepped forward, coming up to stop at Hiei's left, his eyes full of anger. "What the hell is this?"

Before them, exposed to the light, three of the four ferry girls floated in separate tanks full of a pale blue fluid. Bubbles flittered around their naked forms, gashes and bruises visible on their skin while breathing masks covered their noses and their mouths.

"Christ.. what the hell happened to them?" Yusuke murmured, leaning in closer to study the injuries, blinking as Kuwabara growled.

"Cowards. What kind men would do this to women?" The orange haired boy shook his head, clenching his hands into fists. "It's wrong.. and evil.. we need to get them out of there guys."

"Evil to you, perhaps.." Hiei commented. "But these women are in regeneration tanks." He paused, his mind traveling back to the time he himself had been placed in such a situation. He flexed his left arm, muscles remembering the severing and the pain. "Their physical injuries will heal seamlessly in that fluid."

"But not their minds." Kuwabara countered. "No freaky blue fluid will heal the damage done to them mentally."

The fire demon looked up at the larger man, voice soft. "So you do have a brain after all…"

"Why you.." Kuwabara growled, stepping closer to the smaller man. "Are you saying you agree with what was done to them? You know how sick and twisted that is?"

"I don't have your moral dilemmas, Kuwabara." Hiei replied, using the human's last name, surprising the teen. "But I will say that no, I don't agree with what was done to them." He paused, eyes flashing with an intensity of anger that was unusual for the koorime, guided by his loyalty to the woman he served and acknowledgement of the wrong done to her, bringing forth an empathy he rarely felt. "A man who tortures a woman, is no man at all, but an animal. Unfit to live."

Kuwabara blinked as he studied the fire demon, nodding with silent approval.

Hiei's gaze shifted away from the taller man, traveling down the line, noting the last tank was empty, voice soft "Someone is missing."

Yusuke turned towards the smaller man, features full of concern. "Botan.." He murmured, moving over to the empty tank. Just where was she? The head detective wondered. And where the hell was Kurama?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Far from the site of the three other detectives, Kurama was dealing with a different situation. Namely being stabbed by the woman he loved.

The shock was worse than the pain and Kurama pulled back, jumping away from the deity, his left hand clutching the wound. Blood seeped though his fingers, his troubled gaze locked on the blank ones of Botan. There was no life there and no recognition. She was an empty shell, devoid of any feeling or thought.

_Botan.. what have they done to you? _

His eyes widened as the deity rushed at him, knife outstretched, slashing left and right with a speed she should not have. Kurama dodged each attack, leaping back and away, up onto a branch above, wincing a bit at the flare of pain that ignited in his side. He studied the deity, frowning at the empty stare that gazed back up at him. The fox spirit's mind was reeling, trying to come up with answers, frowning as Botan leapt up and came at him again.

Gritting his teeth, Kurama jumped down, flipping and landing on the ground. He stumbled a bit and had to duck as a wide slash from the ferry girl nearly took his head. Botan pressed her attack with a ferocity that surprised the kitsune and it was all he could do to remain on the defensive, dodging each attack, unable to counter without hurting her.

Frustration filled him at the continued assault from the hands of the deity. Every move he made was mirrored by Botan, every step back, she advanced. There was something she was honing in on in regards to him, but what? Her movements were controlled and precise and she behaved like a puppet on a string, dancing to the whims of an unseen master.

Kurama's eyes narrowed. Controlled. Under control. That was what was going on. Botan was the instrument of the kidnapper's violent whim. And she would not stop until the controller was caught and incapacitated. Or Botan. That was the crux wasn't it? The controller knew this ahead of time. Knew that the kitsune would have to choose between his life and the life of the woman he loved. _You cruel bastard_. Kurama growled inwardly and he leapt away from the wide arcing slash of the deity. _You set this up as some sort of game.. or trial_.. Was he watching now? Was he enjoying the show?

_I will not let you win. _The kitsune thought as he reached up and withdrew a seed, features full of purpose as he leapt high into the air and fed energy into the seed, several vines sprouting out, zooming at breakneck speed towards the deity, snaking around her, binding her so she could not move. Kurama landed, frowning as the girl struggled against them violently, yet there was still no expression on her features, even as a flower bloomed on the vine near her shoulder and two needle teeth formed, biting down through fabric quickly then withdrew, petals dying and fluttering down to the ground and Botan's eyelids grew heavy and she collapsed forward. Kurama reached out, catching her, cradling her in his arms, his features pained as he whispered. "I'm sorry, Botan." He rose, straightening the deity upright, more vines wrapping around the base of a tree trunk to keep her secured. He felt something hot in his right pocket and he drew it out, flipping open the communicator. A blinking red light met his gaze, the kanji letters for Shimizudani park appearing above the light and the kitsune's features grew somber. _They must have found the location of the kidnappers._

Opening a line of communication, Kurama spoke. "Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei.. can any of you hear me?"

Static met his ears and he frowned. "Kurama here. Can any of you guys hear me? Respond please."

Again, nothing but static responded to his voice. Something was interfering with the lines of communication. _They could be in trouble_. He thought, his emerald orbs lifting up from the communicator to shift over at the unconscious form of Botan. His friends could be in danger and yet.. _I can't leave her. I don't want to lose her again._

Choices again. Choose or die. Save your friends or save your girl.

Kurama clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. The emotion drained from his face, calm and reserved as he threw out some seeds, spreading them in a circular pattern around the tree base, erupting into to man size plants full of thorns that pointed only outwards and vicious teeth and venom. They parted at his approach, revealing Botan and Kurama leaned in to caress her face, voice soft but low. "I will come back for you. Until then.. you remain safe.. here.."

Pulling back, features hardened, the kitsune turned, the plants reforming to protect the peony as he raced off, heading towards Shimizudani.

XXXXXXXX

"So what do we do now?" Kuwabara asked, looking over at his best friend. "We can't leave them here like this."

"No.. we can't.." Yusuke replied, his gaze focused on the tanks. His eyes followed the pathway of intricate tubing that spread down from the breathing masks to coil back over the shoulders of the unconscious females. The head detective did not want to compromise the fragile state these women were in. But what to do? Yusuke move around, walking towards the back of the tank, brow furrowed. It was too complex to do alone. They were going to need more help.

"Well?" Kuwabara asked, growing impatient. "How do we get them out of there?"

"You don't.." An unfamiliar voice echoed in the room and the three detectives jumped as a steel wall slammed down in front of the open pathway, sealing the men in the chamber and blocking off their escape. Lights flickered off, the tanks before them casting out trace amounts of illumination, the only sign of life within the room.

"Who the hell is that?" Kuwabara asked, looking around in confusion at his two companions.

"The enemy." Hiei replied, hand gripping the hilt of his katana as he snatched it out of the scabbard, crouching into a defensive posture, ready for any attack that might come their way. "Seems he wants to play a game."

"I'm not in the mood for games." Yusuke murmured, eyes dark and voice defiant as he spoke. "Come out and show yourself."

The speaker replied with a soft chuckle. "In good time, perhaps.. for now I'm enjoying the spectacle. I trust your visit so far has been.. enlightening?"

"It was easy enough to break into here, you freak!" Kuwabara shouted, clenching his fists.

"Tsk, tsk.. such poor manners.." the speaker replied, voice chiding. "I must say I'm sorely disappointed in the current generation if this is the best response you children can come up with."

"You're going to be even more sore when I kick your ass." Yusuke said, goading the enemy even more when he added, "So stop hiding and face us like a man.. unless you're too afraid."

"Straight to the point." The speaker replied in a hardened tone. "What makes you think you can even kick my ass, boy?"

Yusuke lifted his right hand, clutching the wrist with his left, a blue light building at the tip of his index finger. "I don't need to see you to kick your ass. I'll just blow a damn hole through the wall and find you myself."

"And when you blow up the wall and destroy the tanks housing your precious ferry girls, will Koenma be understanding? Are you willing to risk harming them to get to me?"

The head detective hesitated. As badly as he wanted to take out the smarmy bastard, Yusuke could not risk damaging the girls any more than they already were. Making a sound of disgust, he lowered his hand, the blue light of his spirit gun fading.

"A wise decision, Yusuke Urameshi."

Yusuke's eyes narrowed. "How do you know who I am?"

"Your women told me everything I need to know about you and your little.. club.. Though it isn't a very good one. You can't even protect your women." The speaker replied in a voice laced with mockery.

"Why you arrogant little.." Kuwabara growled, not to be outdone by his best friend's disgust. "You're nothing but a cowardly punk who kidnaps women! Why don't you come here and say that to our faces!"

Laughter filled the room. "Well, you three are certainly entertaining to say the least. Too bad the smart one of your group is missing."

"Where is Kurama?" Hiei asked, stepping between the two larger men. He could not sense his opponent and his Jagan would be useless after the previous encounter with their enemy's strange powers. Still, the fire demon wanted to kill the bastard, if for nothing else than to shut the arrogant man up.

"He's.. preoccupied. A lover's quarrel if you will.. I'm afraid he won't be joining our little.. party today.."

Realization struck Yusuke then. All the concern Kurama showed, the kitsune's irritation at the head detective's teasing. It all made sense now. "Botan.." He murmured, a flash of anger in his features. "What did you do to Botan?"

There was a pause before their enemy spoke again. "She lasted longer than the others, I'll give her that. Yet, in the end, Botan was broken just like the women before you now."

Yusuke studied the prone ferry girls. The slashes and bruises were deep and traumatic. A tell tale sign of torture. _What the fuck else did he do to them? _"Asshole.." He growled. "Only someone fucked up in the head would attack these girls. You get off on this stuff or something?" He asked, voice thick with insinuation. "No wonder you kidnap women. It's the only way you can get any action."

"Your simple mind couldn't even begin to comprehend who I am or what my motives are." The speaker snarled.

_Well.. that pissed him off.. _Yusuke thought with a smirk. _Good.. now to press the verbal attack even more._ "I don't need to be a genius to know a freak when I see one." He taunted. "And you, my friend, are a world class freak.. Yukio Kuromoto.."

Silence, heavy and unnerving, filled the room.

"You're not the only one with valuable information." Yusuke continued. "We know all about Cosmic Dissonance. Your experiments are over. And so is your life."

The hair on the back of Yusuke's head rose, eyes widening at the whisper in his ear.

"Not if I kill you first.."

The tanks exploded without warning, the three detectives crossing their arms to shield their faces from the broken glass that shot towards them. The blue fluid flooded the floor, rising up to the detectives ankles and the men watched in varying shades of horror as the three ferry girls eyelids snapped open, dull orbs fixated on the troubled ones of the detectives.

The women ripped off their breathing masks in unison, tendrils of medical tubing snaking out of their mouths as they dropped the masks and gasped for air. They stalked forward, stumbling a bit, red mixing with blue as their bare feet were cut up by the broken glass. They felt no pain and heeded no warnings. Hands held out, instead of an oar materializing, they brought steel into existence, clutching the blades as they rushed towards the three detectives.

The three men leapt up into the air, avoiding the attack, landing on the opposite side of the room with a loud splash.

"Nice going, Urameshi! You just had to piss that Yukio guy off!"

"How was I supposed to know he was going to sic the ferry girls onto us, numb nuts?!" He replied, jumping up to avoid a downward slash from the ferry girl called Ran.

Hiei vaulted up and over the head, using his katana to block a second blow, forcing the ferry girl, Hinawari, back and away. "Whoever this Yukio really is, I will kill him. Slowly. Once cut at a time."

Kuwabara jumped to the side, avoiding a stabbing thrust by the third ferry girl, Kiko, too focused on not hurting her to pay attention to the nakedness of her form, yellow light erupting from his hand, forming his spirit sword to repel a slash from his attacker. "We can't hit them back, you guys."

Yusuke clenched his jaw. This Yukio bastard was trying to force them to choose. Kill the girls or die. It would be easy enough to knock them out and if necessary, to kill them. But they were sent to save these women, not to harm them and Yusuke could not bring himself to strike these girls, no matter how dangerous they were. _And you know that don't you, you sick bastard? _He thought, reaching out quick as lightning, catching the downward swinging blade of Ran, keeping her still as he watched her struggle to pull the weapon away. "I'm fucking sick of these games." Yanking the blade, the head detective turned it around, barely able to block the attack as Ran materialized another sword.

"We can't keep dodging them forever." Hiei replied, growing impatient with the pressing attacks.

The three men jumped away and landed, back to back in a circle, blades outstretched, each struggling with what to do next when the steel door began to shake. Their eyes widened as the wall was yanked back, long tendrils of green exploding from the debris, coiling around each ferry girl, a strange flower blooming and biting into each woman's shoulder. The girls eyes closed, ceasing their struggle as the vines continued to grow and lash out beyond the prone women, snaking upward, menacing flowers with wicked teeth sprouting instantly, crashing into the wall high above, the sounds of shattering glass filling the air as light poured into the room, revealing the shocked form of Yukio Kuromoto.

Yukio vaulted back at the rapidly attacking plants, lashing out with a blast of flame, causing the deadly flowers to screech in pain and thrash around, sparks flying as the machinery in the once hidden room began to explode.

The three detectives turned their gazes toward the destroyed wall, gawking at the form of Kurama as he leaped up onto the trunk of vines, racing forward and up, grass blade outstretched as he disappeared into the flames.

The kitsune brought the blade down, barely missing the retreating form of Yukio who studied him in shock.

"You're supposed to be dead."

Kurama eyed him coldly, voice low, traces of Youko in his words. "Not until I kill you first." He struck out with precision and deadly accuracy, spearing Yukio through the heart.

Yukio gasped, clutching at the blade, collapsing onto his knees, his body erupting in a blue flame.

"A doppelganger.." Kurama murmured, eyes narrowed. The machinery continued to explode around him, pieces of metal slicing through his clothing, cutting him open, making him bleed everywhere but he paid little notice, his gaze shifting upwards to the camera in the corner. He shot a blade of grass at it, splitting it in half, frowning as the room began to tremble violently. Kurama backed away, turning and jumping out the ruined glass windows, landing near the prone girls wrapped around by his vines.

Yusuke rushed up to the kitsune, blinking at the bloodied state of his friend. "You sure know how to make an entrance, Kurama.."

The red head turned to the head detective, about to reply when the whole building began to quake. "We have to get out of here, now!" He shouted, cutting through the vines, watching as Yusuke, Hiei, and Kuwabara each grabbed a ferry girl. They raced upward, darting past falling debris and up the winding staircase, shooting out of the door just before it collapsed onto itself and dematerialized from the world.

Kurama rose slowly, the adrenaline in his body fading, the pain of his injuries screaming for attention and he winced, his breathing a bit labored.

"Hey, Kurama.. you alright?" Kuwabara asked, tossing the unconscious ferry girl over his shoulder, helping his friend up with his left hand.

"I'm.. fine.. Kuwabara.." The kitsune replied, clutching his side.

The taller man looked down, frowning at the blood spreading along the left side of the fox spirit's shirt. "You don't look so good, Kurama."

The kitsune let out a soft laugh, wincing. "I suppose I don't."

"What happened to you, Kurama?" Hiei asked, concern in his features though his voice was curious.

The red head lowered his gaze. "I will tell you of it, later. For now, we must get the girls back to Reikai."

Yusuke studied the kitsune, voice soft. "Hey.. Kurama.. we.. well.. we found three of the girls.. but.. Botan.."

"Is safe.." Kurama replied, noting the surprise in the head detective's face. "But not for much longer if we do not hurry." He raced pass them, leading them back to Yoyogi park where the deity was still protected by the kitsune's plants. Kurama gently cut her loose, lifting her into his arms, cradling her, his blood soiling her pink kimono as they made the journey back to Reikai.

XXXXXXX

Koenma studied his four detectives, features grief stricken as he listened to their report. They were a mess, Kurama most of all and he leaned back in his chair, voice somber. "So the enemy got away." He murmured. "Yet the ferry girls are returned safe and sound."

"Safe perhaps.." Kurama replied, softly. "But not sound."

The toddler lord shifted his gaze to the red head. "Yes.. you are right.. of course.. how should we go about their treatment?"

"Treatment.." Kurama responded with a trace of bitterness. "It will take more than drugs to help these women. If we can help them at all."

It was unusual for the kitsune to be so pessimistic. _Seems it's not only the ferry girls who were wounded by this experience. _Koenma thought.

"Nevertheless," Kurama continued. "I will do all I can to find away to reverse the damage. I will however, have to research the files pertaining to Cosmic Dissonance."

Koenma closed his eyes, knowing it would come to this. "Yes.. Yes, I suppose you will. Ayame will retrieve the files for you to take home."

"I will not be leaving here until I've figured out a way to help these women." Kurama replied, drawing looks of surprise from everyone in the room.

"Hey, Kurama. You've been through a lot. Maybe you should go home and clean up." Yusuke suggested. "Your family will be worried about you if you don't return."

"I already left them a note explaining I was on a camping trip and would be back within the week as I did not know how long our search would continue or where it would lead us." Kurama said, turning his emerald gaze upon the smaller man. "Besides, I can clean up and rest here just as well as home and my clothing can be cleaned and mended."

_Man, Kurama, you sure do plan ahead of time. _Yusuke thought still amazed at the red head's ability to think several steps ahead.

"Very well." Koenma conceded, dismissing the rest of the group. Kurama followed Ayame to guest quarters within the palace, nodding at her words about gathering files then headed straight to the bathroom. Stripping, he stepped into the shower, groaning as the hot water lashed at his open wounds and bruises. He looked down at the freshly healed stab wound, his mind flashing back to the attack. He closed his eyes, leaning his forehead to rest on the tile.

"Botan." He whispered, anger mixed with grief. He had to find a way to help her. Heal her. _I have to do this. I must do this. _

Gritting his teeth, Kurama pushed off the shower wall, wrapping a towel around his waist. He studied his reflection in the mirror, noting the numerous small cuts and gashes and he held his hand to each one, sealing them shut.

Gathering his bloodied clothing, he entered the bedroom, handing it to one of the many ogres that worked on the premises and waited for them to return. Once dressed in his now cleaned and mended jeans and shirt, the kitsune made his way to the file room, meeting up with Ayame who handed him the requested documents.

The best healers in the realm attended to the grievous physical injuries to Ran, Kiko, and Hinawari. And Botan.. Kurama stopped, placing the files in the guest room, making his way to the guarded entrance on the opposite side of the palace. The two special defense force members let him pass and the kitsune slid a key card down the slot, the door parting open, revealing the unconscious form of the deity.

She was shackled to her bed, the padded cuffs protecting her from damaging her body further but still, Kurama's heart sunk at the sight of her confined. He leaned down, reaching out towards her face, gently prying an eyelid open, shaking his head at the still dull amethyst pupil. Whatever Yukio had done to these women, it would take a miracle to fix.

_But I will do whatever it takes to bring you back to me, Botan._

So the fox spirit poured over the files, writing down notes, breaking down the complex chemicals involved in the mind control drug, shaking his head at the lengths the scientists went to achieve results. He frowned as he read about the withdrawal symptoms and the long term effects of exposure to the drug.

Kurama checked on each ferry girl day to day, noting the progress was slow. The women were not responsive to any chemical treatments to counteract the mind control drug and Botan seemed the least responsive of all. On the fifth day, he noticed a spike of hormone levels from her adrenal glands. This, coupled with LH levels and an increase of the small amount of testosterone, puzzled the kitsune. That couldn't be right, could it? She was under sedation, how could she be stressed and aroused? He shook his head, rubbing his eyes, blaming the results on a faulty test and lack of sleep. He tried to push on but his body would not comply and he passed out, head dropping onto the top of the desk in his guest room.

Dreams took hold of him, images of an arousing nature involving himself and the deity filled his vision, entwined, slow, loving, kisses and sighs, moving together, rushing towards a release that made them both cry out in pleasure.

Kurama bolted upright suddenly in his chair, blinking, adjusting to the darkness. Was it night again? _How long have I been out? _He wondered. The kitsune's neck ached and he reached up to rub the stiff muscles, trying to loosen them, going still suddenly at the sound of Botan's voice.

"I'd thought you'd never wake up."

He swiveled the chair around slowly, finding the deity stretched out lazily on the guest bed, the remnants of the padded cuffs dangling from her wrists. Her pink kimono was loosely tied, the tops of her bare breasts visible and he couldn't help but trail his eyes down to the edge of the kimono, which was hiked up to halfway above her knees. The scent of her arousal was intoxicating and his body reacted but his mind remained in control.

"You broke through your chains?" He asked softly, watching as the deity laughed and rose, moving towards him in a suggestive manner.

"It was simple enough." Botan replied, eyes fever bright, the dull purple hue replaced with dark, ravenous orbs. "I wanted something and I broke free to get to it."

Kurama did not move from his spot, unsure what to do without spooking or upsetting the deity. "And what was it you wanted, Botan?" He asked, eyes widening when the ferry girl sat down suddenly in his lap, her legs dangling on the outside of his own, the heat and scent of her arousal nearly overwhelming as she gripped his face and studied him heatedly.

"You.." She answered, bruising his lips with a savage kiss.

**woo boy.. nice way to leave the chapter, eh? I know this is a long time coming and it was something I struggled to get finished. Still, I decided to make it longer than usual cause I felt bad for leaving people hanging. I do hope you all enjoyed it. Do drop a few lines. It helps to hear the feedback!**


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